Farplane Legacies
by Juular
Summary: AU: Lady Yuna, princess of Besaid, has been taken from her island home by a group of people who have banded together to fight a powerful, evil force. Their secret weapons: living Fayth. YunaxPaine, -!Currently Undergoing Revision!- Chs. 1-2 Edited
1. prologue

_Revamped, redone, and rewritten. This is how it should be. Enjoy._

prologue

The world of the dead lay in chaos.

The songs of the pyreflies had turned to the screams of a million generations, all crying out in pain, fear, and torment as a dark cloud descended. The Fayth swirled high above, their power drained and their hold over the world slipping. Soon they would fall into their own abyss. The empty trench they dug, themselves, to imprison nameless ancients from nightmares long past and long forgotten. The oceans of crystal water, the spraying cataracts and glimmering seas, had all been replaced by roiling rivers of lava that crawled and swallowed everything that lay in their path. Slowly eating the land of the dead; the kingdom of the Fayth.

Upon an island of flowers stood a single man. A man with eyes of crimson. His right arm was drenched from the same blood that matted his own hair, and his chest heaved with each painful breath as he stood his ground bravely against the falling darkness. He was close to death. Marred by tears in his torso, by a gash on his head, and by lashes on his arms and legs. The wounds showed signs of attempted cauterization, but such measures had been crude, at best. They still leaked blood, and their burning pulsed through his muscles and through his will. Still he raised his head up high, facing the darkness with courage and boundless fortitude.

"**Such noble feats thou hast performed in the names of thine gods. And yet, how have they rewarded you?**" The darkness asked, its voice rumbling like thunder. A voice felt, not heard. It pounded through the soul and vibrated through the body. Filling and consuming him. "**You have lost, little human.**" It said with a laugh, a single tendril of the murky mist snaking towards him.

He coughed, blood flecking his lips and staining his teeth. The breath he sucked in was wet and ragged, rattling in his throat and in his lungs, which screamed as he prepared to speak, "No living thing can defeat you . . . The dead . . cannot harm you," he rasped, his eyes rising to the swirling storm of the Fayth high above them all.

"**And yet, thou art dead. Thou art only a soul feigning breath.**" The darkness mocked.

He laughed, the spasm hurting so badly he felt that he could cry out at the torment. But, so enraptured by this, he did not, and let his amusement be known to the great darkness. "Can a soul _bleed_?" He cried out, displaying his bloodied teeth as he smiled. The tendril slowed, and began to retract cautiously.

"**But . . you are **_**dead**_**.**" The darkness replied, fear creeping into the mighty voice of the bane of the Fayth. Such fear lent strength to the man, and he shook his head, his smile growing ever wider.

"I have been restored," he said with a cough. He doubled over, hacking violently and spitting up blood. Gasping torturously, he straightened up to face the cloud. His insides burned at the tension, but he forged onward, saying, "They gave me breath again . . so that I may undo you . . and all that you have wrought."

The darkness rumbled furiously, "**Impossible!**" It asserted. "**Only Fayth can defeat me, and none that exist above hold the power to pose a threat to me any longer.**"

"Precisely," the man hissed. He drew a sword sheathed at his side and held it before him. His eyes cast hatefully upon the wretched cloud, the man fell on his own blade. His spine severed as the blade bit through, and the last of his willpower gave out. He died.

And so he rose.

From his corpse came a whirlwind of pyreflies. The darkness roared. Tremors shook the Farplane as its rage carried through the ethereal kingdom of the dead. The pyreflies joined with the Fayth in the skies of the Farplane, their light growing brighter, their maelstrom calming. Thunder boomed in the land of the sent, and the Fayth descended upon the cloud with fire, with wind, and with rage. As a tornado, the Fayth swept over the darkness and consumed it. It fell with a shriek, powerless to fight this newfound strength.

The whirlwind dispersed slowly, and when the last of the pyreflies had faded, the man stood once more on the island of flowers. No longer bloodied, no longer wounded. He looked at his hands in shock, not quite sure if what he was seeing was real. His attention shifted to the Fayth, who hovered above in forms shining brilliantly with light and with power.

"_Now, reborn for all that you have done in our name, and in the name of this world, you may return to those who fought beside you. To those whom you love. When you return, in death, as it should be, you will be rewarded justly for your servitude and your sacrifice. In your blood runs our power. _Your_ power. You, and those like you, the first of the living Fayth. Our reflections. Go, now. Rejoin the living._"

He was swept away like air, finding himself in the world above. In Spira. Lost, to the annals of time, this titanic struggle would be. This war, this discovery, and this clash of god, man, and monster. Known, only by those who remembered, as the "Farplane Genesis".


	2. 1: Fate Never Comes

Chapter 1: Fate Never Comes At a Time of Our Choosing

There is something to be said about fate. That mysterious force that commands all our lives, that sets when worlds will turn, and when they will crumble. That unseen power that raises kings to thrones, and topples empires into the dust. The timeless, indestructible thing that decides when and where your ultimate path in life will reveal itself to you, and even if that path will be clear at all, or clouded in uncertainty. It can make the mighty whimper like children, and the lost and confused finally find their way. Thus is the nature of the godless, damning power of fate. Whether it be a thing on its own, or a pet on a leash for something greater, it conducts the symphonies of life, and death; of harmony, and destruction. It can orchestrate the infinite, or throw it all away.

Fate called upon one who lived in Besaid, on this day.

In the grand scheme of the world of Spira, a world that had forgotten much of its tumultuous past, Besaid was almost nothing. It had no army, only guards. It had no navy, no force to defend itself with. It sat there, at the most southern tip of all civilization, paling in comparison to the great city-states of Bevelle, Zanarkand, and Luca. Even though the latter really depended on its profits and monetary strength, these days, and not on martial prowess like Zanarkand and Bevelle relied.

Even then, it was not a rich province. Or, "kingdom", as they preferred to be called (well, they _did_ have a monarch in place, so . . .). It had no real political bearing of any kind, for that matter. It was absolutely neutral in regards to the three world powers. Well, in terms of Zanarkand and Bevelle, as _they_ were the ones at war. Luca just sold what needed to be purchased to whoever would pay the most. This made life there seemingly fragile, as only Kilika could offer any protection against the vast navies and armies of the two warring city-states.

Even with the threat of being conquered hanging over their heads like a pall, the people of Besaid lived happy lives. Content, and sure of their safety on their small island so far from the war. And, of course, they had Yuna. Lady Yuna, princess of the island Kingdom of Besaid. Born to be heir to the throne when her time came to surpass her mother and her father. Both in preparation for her eventual ascension, and due to her own kindhearted nature, the princess had grown very close to the people of the island.

Known to her people as the "face" of the royal family, Lady Yuna was active in the lives of the citizens of the island. It was common for her to take long, daily walks through the town and the market, speaking with the people and even playing with the children. It brought joy to the islanders, and in turn to her. She wished only for their safety, and their happiness. And to see their faces light up when they saw her, to see how they smiled and their eyes glowed, made her feel that she was doing some good for them.

Yuna took no guards with her on these daily ventures. She saw no need to. That would only make it appear as if she did not trust her people, which could breed resentment and possible unrest. She felt no danger from the townspeople, though she realized the nature of the world. She was not stupid by any account, she was simply willing to trust. If anything, her people would be willing to die for her, rather than see her killed. When told this, she expressed surprise, stating that she did not know why they would sacrifice themselves for her. She had never done anything that improved their lives significantly. Even though, just her being there – speaking with them, trusting them – was almost a blessing for them. She carried the light with her wherever she went, they would say. Her smile, her shining eyes, and her calm voice and caring words could soften any heart of stone.

It was early in the day, nearing noon. The sun had yet to reach its peak yet, and there were still several hours left until it settled in its apex, its daily triumph were it lorded directly over the whole of the waking world, only to fall back into the sea. Plucked by fate from the skies and tossed into the depths. For now, the warm, muggy jungle air still fought for dominance with the cool of the shade in the narrow streets of the marketplace. This was usually around the time that the majority of traders would be docking at Besaid's small harbor. Ten boats, or so, was the norm. They carried with them things from the cities, or orders for island goods. Besaid was a renowned trade port because of its exotic fruits, game, and spices. Jewelry and cloth from the island were of high demand in the bigger cities, and perfumes even more so. Travelers who had booked passage in order to do business would disembark and oftentimes become entranced by stories of the princess, and wound up staying longer just hoping to catch a glimpse of her, at least. Sometimes people came to Besaid for that reason, alone.

However, today a new boat docked at the harbor. It was unlike anything the islanders had ever seen before. Long and low, with a large, splashing wheel at the back end of the vessel to propel it. It had no sails, and the deck where the pilot would usually stand to steer was completely enclosed, with glass windows providing a view of the sea. Four people stepped out from the bridge and onto the deck proper. Two were hidden by hooded cloaks. One of the two was obviously a girl. She was the shortest of the four, and wore a green cloak over her yellow, knee-length dress. The other was fairly tall, concealed by a black cloak, with leather armor beneath, and carried a sword that was strapped to their side. The gender was difficult to make out, but many assumed it was a man. The other two were obviously men. One had blonde hair, the other thick, dark hair; both wore leather armor similar to the taller of the two cloaked figures.

After conversing shortly, the girl and the dark sentinel left the ship, while the two men went back into the bridge via a door on the starboard side of the vessel. Word of these visitors and their odd vessel spread like a plague, with whispers of a noble's daughter from another city-state or some such. Most assumed the darker of the two to be the girl's bodyguard, which added to the belief that she was of some importance politically to some other state. The taller figure pulled their hood further down, obscuring their face completely, while the other left only her mouth visible.

They passed through the town, heading straight for the marketplace, which was where they heard the princess was. Upon arrival in the winding, stuffy market, the smaller of the two immediately became entranced by all the different vendors. The armed figure followed reluctantly, keeping silent as the girl gawked over this and that, inspected every trinket, and sampled different perfumes. It was when they stopped at a jewelry stand, and the girl had begun to fawn over a necklace, that the taller of the two noticed something further down the dirt path.

A broad smile formed on the girl's exposed half of her face as she examined the carved and polished stone, and the glittering silver. "Oh! Look how pretty it is!" She gasped, holding it out for the darker one to see. Instead of agreeing, or even looking, they just ignored her. The girl pouted briefly, and was about to move on to a bracelet when the taller one cuffed her on the back on the head. "Ow!" She yelped, wheeling around to confront her companion. They just shook their head and pointed. The girl followed the other's arm, her hidden eyes landing on Lady Yuna down at the other end of the marketplace amidst a small crowd of villagers. "Oh," she murmured, her anger fading quickly.

They left the vendor, and ignored the other stands and displays, their task now focused and direct. They made their way slowly through the crowds to the princess. She stood in a patch of sunlight that brought a gleam to her short, brown hair. Her eyes reflected the sun brilliantly, and her smile just seemed to force the shadows back. When she laughed, the gleam in her eyes challenged the sun and its golden rays. She seemed at home with the townspeople, whereas others of nobility seemed to rule from darker confines. Faceless monarchs of grim empires.

When the two approached, slowing as they came near, the crowd slowly dispersed, the islanders excusing themselves and bidding farewell to the princess. Once they had all gone, the two walked up to the princess, directly.

She addressed them with a smile, "Hello, my name is Yuna. I hope your time on Besaid has been pleasant, so far." She bowed quickly and respectfully. "If there is anything I can do for you, please, let me know."

The girl gave her a big smile, revealing perfect, white teeth, "We're doin' just fine, thank you very much." She informed cheerily. She lowered her voice a little, "We actually _do_ need to talk to you, though," she sidled a little closer to the princess.

"Oh?" Yuna asked, her head tilting to the side curiously.

"Yeah. Otherwise we'd be stuck with stupid here drooling all over the merchandise," the other grunted. Yuna was taken aback. The voice had not been a man's, but a _woman's_.

"Well, then . . what did you need to say?" She asked, still recovering from the momentary shock.

"Well," the shorter girl drawled, "Yunie, we . . uh-"

The look in Yuna's bi-colored eyes changed in an instant, "'Y-Yunie'?" she stammered, her voice no more than a breath.

The taller girl growled suddenly, "Just say it!" She snapped, growing more irritable.

"This may sound a little strange," the first girl warned. "And don't get me wrong! S'not like we'd wanna hurt you, or anyone here!" She quickly added, tripping over her words as she tried to figure out how to say what she needed to get out.

Yuna's eyes widened a little nervously, "Huh?"

The second girl groaned, "Great. Good going, Rikku."

Yuna's fear faded immediately, and her mouth fell open as she struggled to cope with what she'd just heard. "R-R-Ri-Rikku?" She gasped out. She finally realized who she was speaking with. It dawned on her like a punch, and she could hardly believe it.

Rikku chuckled shakily, "There's not really time to explain, right now, Yunie," she said, removing her hood slowly, letting golden hair fall down around her shoulders.

"We have good reason to believe that you may be in danger," the second said quickly, hoping to hurry things along.

Yuna's eyes narrowed on the taller girl, "What do you mean? Who would-"

"No one you've ever seen before, Yunie," Rikku said quickly. "There's someone who-" A loud, terrible roar shook the ground. Flocks of terrified birds took off into the air. All around them they heard the gasps of islanders who looked around in confusion. Rikku slowly closed her eyes and hung her head miserably. "Oh, shit."

Her companion gripped her sword, looking around warily, "This feels pretty damn cliché, if you ask me."

"A little what?" Rikku asked, looking back at the girl.

She looked down at Rikku, silently, for a moment, before shaking her head, "Forget I said anything." Something pounded against the earth, the palm trees quivering from the force of the blow. "What do you think _that_ could be?" She murmured, mostly to herself.

"I dunno," Rikku shrugged, moving protectively towards Yuna. "Sounded pretty mean, though."

The taller woman sighed, "I wasn't asking you, Rikku." She quickly turned to the blonde, "All right, get her to the palace, that's the most strategic defensive position, you hear me?" Rikku nodded vigorously. "Good. You protect her! Okay? I'll go and see what we're up against."

"What about Baddon and Caalen?" Rikku shouted quickly.

"They've probably moved the boat, by now," she answered, drawing her sword. "Get Yuna to safety, Rikku! Now! Go!" She waved them off as she turned and ran back towards the sounds of screaming islanders.

"No problem!" Rikku called after her. She bit her lip worriedly as she watched her partner run off. Once she was out of sight, Rikku turned to Yuna, suddenly serious, "Okay, follow me!"

Yuna pointed after the woman, her eyes wide with fear, "What about-"

"Paine can handle herself, no problem!" Rikku assured her with a confident nod.

XXX

Paine hurried against the tide of islanders, keeping her blade tucked away under her cloak to avoid injuring any of them as she pushed past. Deep bellows fueled the frenzy of fear that scattered the people of Besaid, followed by further pounding on the ground. She managed to break through the river rapids, so to speak, and came to the curve leading down into the town. She came to a dead halt at the tip of the slope, her sword hanging in one hand as she stared into the carnage below. Her blood ran cold, but anger burned inside of her, counteracting the fear and shock that coursed through her system and rooted her down.

Looming over it all were two major fiends. The flagships of the invasion, so to speak. The minor of the two was an Elder Drake. Fierce enough on its own, but now aided by something even larger; something far more terrifying. An Armor. Ghastly, gigantic, and nearly impossible to kill. It was the source of the rhythmic poundings upon the ground. It slung its heavy arms out in front of it, pushing its body up and swinging all of its weight forward. Anything caught underneath as it came crashing down was pulverized instantly. There was no surviving that kind of force.

This was a fight she could not win. Hell, she couldn't even _help_. She just had to hurry, and stick to the plan. That would strengthen the odds of the four of them getting out _with _their target. The warrior turned and ran back for the palace. She had to get Rikku and Yuna and then get back to the boat. Dark clouds bloomed like demonic flowers in the air, giving birth to fiends as they unfolded. Blades. Ugly, fast, and lethal in numbers, which was exactly how they were being utilized. They tore down islanders with careless ease, darting from one to another, claiming victim after victim. She ignored them for the most part. When one got too close, or actually attacked her, she let it know just how mistaken it was. Thankfully, they were too wrapped up with the people basically running in circles to focus on her all at once. Or, maybe it was the instinct of the predator to go after the prey that posed the least threat. Either way, it worked towards her advantage.

The Followers would know that the palace would be where Yuna was. The most heavily fortified place on the island was the most obvious sanctuary in the minds of someone wanting to get to safety. She just prayed that she would beat the Followers to their quarry.

XXX

_Stomp! Stomp! Silence... Stomp! Stomp! Silence..._

It had an oddly traumatizing effect on those huddled for safety in the main chamber of the palace. The steady pace shook both the building and those who sought shelter within its walls. But they felt it in more ways than one. Each succession let them know that whatever was coming was getting closer, and closer, and closer with each pound. Every so often something would scratch and beat on the heavy wooden doors, but that quickly ceased. Still, each time it happened it would elicit some fear-stricken cry from someone, or someone would break out into tears. Besaid had not known terror like this in centuries. Not since a great war, from long ago . . .

Yuna was crying. Tears of fear. Tears of confusion. Tears for her people, who she _knew_ were being pointlessly killed by a nameless entity. The worst part was that she could do nothing to stop it. She was helpless to aid them, and could only wait for the end to come to herself and those gathered around her. Rikku had one arm around her cousin, holding her close as she wept. Her spiral eyes stayed locked on the double doors, steeled for any threat that broke through. Her other hand had slipped into her cloak, as if reaching for some unseen weapon. Her grip tightened on the brunette as something began to beat against the doors. Yuna choked on a sob, crying on her smaller, younger cousin's shoulder. She felt wretched. All she could do was weep, and no more.

_I really am worthless_, she thought bitterly.

The hammering on the door paused, interrupted by a voice, "Rikku! Open this damn door!"

Rikku's expression changed in an instant, "Oh." She pried herself from Yuna and ran to the doors, struggling to lift the heavy wooden beam keeping them in place. "A little _help_!" She yelled, straining as she pushed up on the obstacle. It didn't even budge, and she turned on the guards, "Please, someone help! That's my _friend_!" Her voice turned from frustrated into panicked.

Yuna sniffed, and managed to say, "Let her in. Please." The guards responded instantly, despite their fear of something getting inside. They easily lifted the beam, and Paine pushed the doors open, Rikku helping her slide them shut once she was safely inside. The guards dropped the beam back into place, sealing them all in again.

"Well?" Rikku asked, the two walking back to Yuna. "What's the damage?"

Paine, face still hidden, shook her head, "Mostly Blades. They're sending those out as infantry. The real threats are an Elder Drake, and an Armor."

Rikku rolled her eyes, "Well, that explains _that_!" She moaned, meaning the loud thumping that rattled the palace.

Paine took a deep breath, "We're being overrun. They'll break through soon. We can't stay here. We've gotta move; get back to Baddon and Caalen, if they've held out this long."

"'Course they have!" Rikku cried, throwing her arms up. They fell quickly as she cringed at a loud booming from somewhere outside.

"Oh, that sounded _close_!" Paine hissed through her teeth.

"Well, what're we gonna do?" Rikku demanded. "We're stuck in here, and we are _hopelessly _outnumbered. If you've got a plan, then this would be a really good time to lay it out for me, 'kay?"

Paine's eyes shifted to Yuna, hidden by her hood. The girl was terrified, and stricken with guilt. She looked sick with herself. Paine swallowed, their one hope sinking in like a stone, "We _do_ have one option . . ." She trailed off, her head cocking towards Rikku.

The girl's eyes widened, "No, no, _no_!" She yelled loudly, drawing attention to herself and Paine, much to the warrior's chagrin.

Paine sighed, shaking her head slowly, "Rikku, it's the only way."

The girl stamped her foot adamantly, glaring up at the warrior's hidden eyes, "Not it's not! And besides, it's _way_ to dangerous! You could hurt yourself, Paine. You could _kill_ yourself!"

"I've done it before!" Paine snapped, leaning closer to the Al Bhed.

Rikku glowered back at her, not backing down even a little, "Not up against anything this big, Paine! You're not ready yet, and you know it!"

The warrior sucked in a breath, but finally relented. "All right. You win. We'll think of something else. But! If we don't-"

"Then you'll kick my ass in the Farplane. Know it, heard it, don't care." Rikku cut her off with a bored wave of her hand. Yuna had been watching their little exchange in absolute confusion, at a complete loss as to anything that had just been said. She was shocked out of her thoughts by a loud bang on the doors, and the sound of wood splintering. Paine and Rikku quickly moved to stand in front of Yuna. Paine drew her sword, and Rikku pulled out two, long daggers. She gave them each a good twirl, catching them and crossing the blades as they stood defensively before the island princess.

Paine suddenly realized something, and called out to one of the guard, "Hey! Is there a back exit to this place?" The look the guard gave her told her everything she needed to know, and more. Paine rolled her eyes, growling deep in her throat. "When will people learn the importance of a back door?"

"Beats me," Rikku shrugged, swaying on the spot and constantly shifting grips on her weapons. She was concentrating so hard that she didn't even realize her tongue was poking out of the corner of her mouth. It would have been funny, had the situation not been so dire.

Something crashed through the roof, sending everyone to the floor. Screams filled the air, almost blocking out the sounds of crumbling stone. Paine and Rikku quickly got to their feet and looked around.

"Yunie!" Rikku shrieked, dropping to her knees by her cousin, daggers clattering to the floor. She felt the girl's pulse and sighed. "She's alive," she muttered gratefully.

"Look!" Paine yelled. Rikku lifted her head, her eyes landing on the wall where the boulder – thrown by the Armor, no doubt – had hit, punching out a huge hole in the stone. Paine quickly sheathed her sword and knelt down to the unconscious princess. "Get your daggers, I'll carry Yuna!" She ordered, lifting the girl gently in her arms. She took a moment to look over the side of her head that had struck the floor. A little bit of blood had leaked out into her hair, but it didn't look too serious. Rikku stood up, weapons in hand, and nodded to the warrior.

"Ready?" She asked. Paine nodded in response, and the two ran for the newly made exit before fiends or Fallen could make use of it. They came out into the jungle, but turned instantly towards where the beach would be – and the boat somewhere close by, hopefully – and took off at a dead run. Paine shifted Yuna just a little as she ran, keeping her out of reach of any branches or vines. Behind them came the piercing screams of those not so fast, or so fortunate. But they ignored them, though they hated to, and kept on running. Paine found that she was slowing them down a little. Rikku ducked, jumped, and rolled to avoid obstacles, moving with catlike reflexes and agility, even in the dense tangle. Paine had to go around them because of the girl in her arms, and Rikku kept having to pause and wait for her to catch up every so often.

By the time they reached the beach they found that it had long ago become a disaster area. They knelt down amongst the trees, peering out towards the burning docks and butchered bodies. Paine glanced down at the face of the princess of Besaid. She felt a fire in her heart, a deep resentment for what the Followers had just inflicted upon her and her people. She cradled the girl defensively and looked for any hostiles.

"I think they all left the beach," Rikku murmured, leaning out to get a better look. "I'll run out and check."

Paine's head snapped towards the girl, "What?" She hissed. "No, are you-"

"I'm faster, and I'm actually armed," Rikku cut her off, spinning her weapons for emphasis. "I'm a big girl, Paine, I'll be fine," she insisted, flashing the warrior a cheeky grin before taking off. She skirted the edge of the trees, looking out for anyone hiding nearby. Once certain the coast was clear, Rikku waved for Paine to follow.

By the time the warrior had caught up with Rikku they were already at the edge of the beach, looking out for the boat. With every minute that crawled past, their anxiety grew.

"I don't see any wreckage that looks like it," Rikku noted, examining the burning remains. "Maybe they're gonna pass by in a little bit, you know?" She glanced back at Paine, giving her a hopeful smile. Paine just nodded impassively, looking over her shoulder every now and then. "You hear that!" Rikku squeaked, suddenly. She was pointing out to the treeline, where the sound of splashing could be heard over the crackling fire of the docks. Sure enough, the boat came chugging around the bend and turned towards the fiery remains of the harbor.

Paine and Rikku backed up, watching out for any Followers or fiends. The boat crashed through the weakened wood, sending embers into the air. The boat, like all Al Bhed water craft, had been coated with a layer of fire-retardant wax, making it invulnerable to the weak flames as it plowed through to the beach. It slowed just before running up onto the sand, leaving the paddle wheel plenty of room to move.

The two sloshed into the shallows towards the boat, Baddon and Caalen running out onto the deck to help. Caalen raised his bow, arrow notched, as he scanned the trees for any unwanted attention. Paine raised Yuna up to Baddon, who took her and laid her gently down onto the deck before helping Paine aboard. Caalen slung his bow over his shoulder and pulled Rikku up.

"Fayth, girl! Why do you smell like a damned flowerbed?" Caalen hissed, recoiling from her quickly after she was safely on board.

"Hey!" Rikku cried. "It's just some perfume!"

"How many?" The male Al Bhed asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"Rikku, get her below deck," the dark-haired Baddon ordered hurriedly. "Caalen, get down below, too. Paine," he acknowledged the warrior as she pulled her hood down, "I'll need you on the bridge." Paine nodded, and the four went to work. Rikku picked Yuna up, she and Caalen headed through the port side door. Baddon and Paine went through the starboard door and up a short flight of stairs to the bridge. Cut off completely from the elements, the only views outside came from the four sets of windows around the bridge. In the front of the room was the ship's wheel. To its right was a series of wooden levers, on its left a row of metal tubes rose up out of the floor, their flared heads facing away from the window. Just behind the wheel stood a compass under its protective case. A table, secured to the floor, covered the center of the room, and was littered with scrolls, maps, and charts of the sea and its islands. Near the back of the bridge was a trap door, with a ladder leading down into the boat's lower half.

"On your mark," Paine said, eyeing Baddon as she gripped one of the levers.

Baddon grabbed hold of one of the tubes, "Everything set?" He yelled.

After a moment's silence, Caalen replied through the same tube, "Aye, sir! We're ready to get the hell outta here!"

Baddon rolled his eyes, "Mark," he said with a nod. Paine pulled back on the lever, and the paddle wheel began to turn in reverse, pulling the boat backwards to sea. Baddon began to spin the wheel hard to starboard once they had cleared enough of the wreckage. On impulse, Paine shoved the lever forward, once more altering the direction of the paddle wheel.

Paine went to the bridge's stern window, gazing out towards the burning harbor, the only real sign of destruction she could see from the boat. She clenched her teeth, hands resting on the wooden sill as she stared, pensively, at the island. She sighed, shoulders sagging and head drooping, "Mission complete. Target delivered successfully," she recited.

Baddon exhaled through his nose, "Status of Besaid?" He asked, already knowing the answer.

"Destroyed," Paine answered bitterly. "Besaid's gone."


	3. 2: Not So Unlike the Waves

Chapter 2: Not So Unlike the Waves

"Coffee's burnt," Rikku muttered bitterly, sipping from a steaming tin cup. Her eyes settled dejectedly on the wooden table in front of her, her mouth hidden behind the lip of the cup. The night had passed slowly, with Yuna tossing and turning, but never waking, in the bunk they'd put her in. She'd tended to her cousin's wound, and it had healed nicely once a potion had been applied. But she had still yet to wake. That worried her, even more so because there was nothing to do but let her rest. Her eyes danced around the room fleetingly, settling on the other three members of the boat's now four-member strong crew. Caalen was seated opposite her on the table, the awkward silence keeping him quiet as he fiddled with his own cup of coffee on the table. Paine was stirring gruel in a pot on the ship's wood burning stove. She had changed into a baggy black shirt, and tight-fitting leather pants since the day before. She had remained silent ever since coming down from the bridge, not speaking a word to anyone. Lost in her own thoughts again. Baddon was standing against the wall, having set the ship on its more permanent course for the time being.

Not much had been said by any of them for some time. Caalen had practically locked himself in the boat's engine room for hours to tend to the chocobos powering the vessel, leaving the bridge to Paine and Baddon. Rikku had just wandered for a while, having nothing to do, and being too restless to sleep.

"I wonder what's gonna happen next," Caalen mumbled, eyes darting around fitfully. "This _is_ the largest assault, so far."

"Retaliation is the only answer that I can foresee," Baddon said in a low voice.

"Can we not talk about this right now?" Rikku asked, looking pleadingly at the two.

"Just go check on your cousin, Rikku!" Paine snapped, shooting a glare over her shoulder at the blonde. Rikku shrank into her seat, frowning as she met Paine's stare. She gave a little nod, set her cup down, and left the room, heading deeper into the boat. Once the door had shut, Paine turned around, arms folded over her chest, "I'm worried about this girl," she said quickly, steeled eyes moving from Baddon to Caalen, the latter leaning forward interestedly.

"'Worried'?" Baddon inquired.

Paine nodded, "She's probably going to turn out to be some stuck up brat, mourning only for the loss of her servants and her adoring underlings."

"Quick to judge, eh, Dr. P?" Caalen chuckled. The glare he received made him look away and clear his throat. "The name gets around," he mumbled, looking between her and the floor nervously. "Besides, Rikku seems to think there's nothing wrong with her," he said. "She knew her when she was younger, right?"

"Sure," Paine nodded, "back when they were _kids_, Caalen! People change, especially after as many years as Rikku's been gone."

"It's not like she's the daughter of the grand . . whatever of Luca, or anything!" Caalen argued. "She's only technically nobility, anyway! It's not like she could have been _that_ pampered, right?" Paine just groaned and turned back to the pot of gruel, stirring it aggressively. "Breakfast looks angry," Caalen murmured. He quickly left the room, heading out onto the deck.

"You should give the girl a chance before deciding she's stuck up and selfish," Baddon advised coolly. His eyes were orange with purple-hued rings in the center of the irises. The rings flickered almost like lightning, and the orange glowed with fiery subtlety. "Not to overstep any boundaries, of course," he added, his voice so low that it made him sound as if he were speaking in monotone.

Paine sighed, her eyes closing tight, "I know her kind, Baddon." She insisted coldly. "They've never done a lick of work in their lives, and-"

"But each person is different. You and I should both know this, and for good reason, yes?"

Paine nodded hesitantly, "Maybe you're right," she admitted. "But we can't know just yet."

"Precisely, we cannot know until we speak with her directly. And that will not be until she wakes," he said. He walked to the door, about to head up onto the deck, and paused, "Perhaps you should check on Rikku." As if on second thought, Baddon walked to one of two kegs on stands near the stove. Grabbing a wooden tankard from a nearby cabinet bolted to the wall, he filled it with beer from one of the kegs. "Cheers," he nodded to Paine, taking a swig as he headed out to the bridge. The warrior for a time in silence, listening to the sound of footsteps from above, the creaking wood of the boat, and the wash of the sea. Maybe she had been too harsh on the girl, having barely spoken to her at all up to this point. She had been feeling a little like a loose cannon ever since they'd gotten off the island, and she had no idea why. It wasn't like her to feel this stressed.

Deciding that Rikku had been a gone a little too long, Paine adjusted the heat output of the stove and went to check on her partner.

XXX

When she skirted the edge of that suffocating emptiness, the first thing that Yuna felt was the soothing rocking sensation from all around. She was being lifted this way and then that, never being truly still, though she knew she was not moving. Then her hearing came back. She could hear creaking and groaning, like that of wood, all around her, and a dull splashing from somewhere nearby. She shifted slowly, feeling something hard and uncomfortable beneath the thin layer of padding that she lay on. Her eyes snapped open suddenly. She was in a small room, laying on a bed apparently attached to the wall. Startled and confused, she sat up quickly and yelped as she banged her head.

Her hands went to the throbbing on her head, and she looked up to see another bunk just a little above the one she lay on. They were little more than sturdy, wooden platforms with bedrolls and blankets on them. _Where am I?_ She thought, panicking as she looked around. _Have I been kidnapped? _A sound from outside the room drew her attention to the door, and she pressed back against the wall instinctively, shrinking away and trying to make herself look as small as possible.

The handle turned and the door swung open. Fear was immediately replaced by confusion. Rikku, who had traded out her dress for a baggy, sleeveless shirt and shorts, paused in surprise. Both cousins stared at each other silently for a moment. Yuna squinted at the blonde, not sure if she was really seeing who she thought she was seeing. _It can't be_, she thought, _Rikku's been gone for . . oh . . wait . . ._

The memories returned in one, fell swoop. She felt her heart sink despairingly as tears welled in her eyes. "Rikku?" She croaked. "Please tell me . . please say it didn't happen," she choked out. Rikku rushed to her cousin, ducking down to wrap her arms around the brunette as she began to cry. For a few minutes she just held her cousin, waiting until she felt like speaking.

Yuna felt mortified. She'd just abandoned her people, left them to more than likely die at the hands of whoever Rikku and . . Paine? . . had tried to warn her about. Why did she deserve to be safe, and not her people? Of course, that begged the question: was she really safe after all? Sure, this was _Rikku_, but she hadn't seen her cousin in years, and had no idea what could have happened the whole time she'd been away. She had just been kidnapped, her island attacked, and now she had no idea where she was or where she was going. Frankly, she was frightened.

Once she had calmed, Yuna sucked in a breath and asked, "Rikku?"

"Hm?" The slighter girl unwrapped herself from her cousin, looking her in the eye. She didn't say anything, she just let her know that she was there for her.

Yuna exhaled, her breath trembling and her chin quivering, "W-Where am I? What h-happened?" She asked, the look in her eyes pleading for explanation. She took comfort in her cousin, but that did not help to fill the hollow pit in her heart.

Rikku nodded and shifted so that she could sit beside Yuna. She slid her arm around the older girl's back and let Yuna lay her head on Rikku's shoulder, "Well, I can't say too much, right now . . I'm not really _allowed_ to."

"Huh?" Yuna raised her head a little. Rikku shushed her soothingly, shaking her head as she stroked her cousin's hair, trying to calm her down.

"It's a stupid rule, I know. But, if I break it, there are two people on this boat who are gonna kick my ass." She gave Yuna an apologetic look. "You're on a boat," she began to explain. Yuna's eyes roamed around the room, thoughts going to the creaking, the rocking, and the sounds of water. Well, it made sense, now. Though she felt stupid for not realizing it off the bat. "It's called the _Talisman_, and there's just four of us on board. Me, Paine, and the two guys who own it: Baddon and Caalen." She went on to explain that they had been sent – without saying who had sent them, or why, really – to take Yuna to safety from a group called "the Followers".

"And . . they're the ones who attacked us?" Yuna asked, feeling her throat tighten a little at the thought. She didn't want to cry anymore. It made her feel pathetic, and useless. So, she swallowed the lump in her throat, and tried to keep calm as Rikku continued. She told Yuna how she had been knocked out, and how the three of them had managed to escape afterward. That had been the day before, Rikku finished by saying.

Yuna let it sink in. She was still confused. Who had sent Rikku, Paine, and the other two to get her? And why? How had they known she was in danger? And why had these "Followers" attacked, in the first place? The questions just kept piling up and up and up, and the fact that she had no way of getting answers yet . . it made her feel like she was going to explode!

"I'm sorry, Yunie," Rikku whispered, hugging her cousin tightly. "I wish we could have helped, but . . there was no way we could have done anything! Only an army could have made any difference, and . . well . . ." She trailed off, not really able to say anything more. She damned these restrictions, but in the face of a possible tongue lashing from numerous different people – including Paine – she decided to adhere.

"It's all right, Rikku," Yuna said, her voice low and weak. She shut her eyes tight, fighting off the urge to break down again. It would do no good, she told herself. She couldn't let herself look so weak, so helpless . . even though that was exactly how she felt: wretched and worthless. "It's all right."

"No, it's not!" Rikku cried. "They should have sent more than just us! They should have been thinking about everyone, and not just _you_!" She paused, blinking slowly as realization dawned. "Oh, Fayth. That sounded horrible." Yuna laughed, despite the situation. She remembered how, back when they were kids, Rikku could always make her laugh, no matter how sad she was. Rikku cradled the brunette defensively when she heard footsteps in the corridor.

"She's awake," Paine stated, stopping by the open door. Her eyes traveled from Rikku to Yuna, who had tensed at the sound of Paine's voice. "How's she coping?"

"Oh, fine, considering how we just kidnapped and the fact that her _home_ has just been destroyed!" Rikku snapped, irritation creeping into her voice.

Paine's eyes narrowed on the girl, her own anger rising, "I think she's more worried about losing the love and attention of a bunch of dumb island hicks!" She shouted. She thought about what she had said, and guilt hit her like a ton of bricks. Her eyes widened shamefully, and she quickly turned and walked away. Yuna, the whole time, felt bitter resentment rising inside of her. Her jaw clenched, and her eyes hardened, at the woman's words. She turned around a little too late, the sound of footsteps replacing the warrior at the door.

Rikku jumped up and ran into the hall, pointing accusingly after Paine, "Oh, yeah, sure! Just go ahead and leave without even _apologizing_!" Yuna heard a door slam shut, and then nothing. Rikku scowled down the hall silently, her hands balled into fists. She looked back at Yuna, "Don't mind Paine, she's usually not like this. I don't know what's gotten into her." She said. "You hungry? Breakfast should be done, now." She seemed deflated. Something in her eyes . . .

Yuna shook it off and nodded, "Yes. I mean . . thank you." She slipped carefully out from the other bed and moved into the hall, which was narrow and dark. Looking behind her, there was another door on the wall a little further down, and then a door at the very end of the corridor. The sound of something clanking behind it was drowned out by the sounds of the boat around her.

"It's this way," Rikku grabbed her attention, pointing down the way Paine had gone. She followed her cousin to a door sitting atop three short steps and into the room beyond. There wasn't much to see. A round table in the middle, with four chairs around it. Against the left side of the room was a stove next to two kegs on stands, and an old cabinet next to those. A steaming pot sat atop the old stove, but Yuna couldn't tell what was cooking inside it. Directly opposite the door they had come through was another, presumably leading out onto the deck. "Here," Rikku pulled out a chair for Yuna before rushing to the cabinet. She grabbed two wooden bowls and went to the pot. She stirred it a little before ladling whatever it was into the two bowls, and carried them back to the table. "I would offer you coffee," Rikku mumbled, setting the bowls down and running to get spoons, "But someone burned it." She pointed to a steel kettle on the floor by the stove. "Talk about a waste," she grumbled, handing Yuna one of the utensils. Rikku started eating immediately, while Yuna inspected the meal – which she found to be gruel. She'd honestly never had it before.

The door opened just as Yuna was about to take a bite, and she nearly dropped the spoonful when she looked up. A girl had walked in. Shimmering silver hair, skin like alabaster, and vicious, crimson eyes. Yuna was dumbstruck, her jaw hanging open in surprise. This _is Paine?_ She thought. She had not expected her to look like this in the least. She had expected something maybe a little more masculine, but instead . . she was beautiful, and Yuna could hardly believe it!

Paine hesitated when she saw Yuna. She felt bad for what she'd said, but she wanted to give the girl a chance to retaliate, if she wanted to. Surprisingly, she didn't. She stared at her for a moment, and then quickly focused on her food, which she ate tentatively at first. Finding it appealing, she began to eat a little quicker. Interested, Paine stepped down to the floor and walked to the table. "You know," she said, "the last time anyone ate any of Rikku's cooking, they _died_ shortly after." Yuna froze, and Rikku glared up at her, having dropped her spoon into the bowl. "So give your thanks to the Fayth, because _I_ made this." She went to pour herself a bowl of the mealy gruel.

"I deal with her," Rikku grumbled into her food.

"And I deal with _her_," Paine shot back with ever-present swiftness. She dropped the ladle back into the pot and seated herself at the table. Almost simultaneously, Rikku hopped up and went for second helpings. Paine fleetingly glanced at the girl out of the corner of her eye before digging in.

Yuna watched Paine quietly for a little bit. She would shoot tiny looks up at the warrior in between bites, quickly averting her gaze afterwards just in case Paine happened to look up. Finally, she shyly asked, "So, you're Paine?" The warrior nodded, still avoiding looking at Yuna. The brunette swallowed and continued, "I guess that . . now would be a good time to thank the two of you, for saving my life, I mean."

"It was our job," Paine explained coldly.

"Still," Yuna said, "Thank you."

Paine sighed, "All right," she met Yuna's eyes, "I'm sorry for what I said. I've been feeling . . stressed lately, and I took it out on you. I shouldn't have . . and I apologize." Yuna blinked, stunned by what the girl had said. "I guess it also has something to do with my dislike of royalty," Paine admitted. "And the fact that Rikku seems fond of you, and I don't particularly take stock in what Rikku says about people." Her eyes moved from her food to the thief, and then back. Yuna smiled softly as she watched her cousin fume quietly.

"Really, Painey?" Rikku asked sweetly. Paine froze. "Because I've always thought you were a smart, cool badass." She batted her eyes at the warrior before returning to her food.

"Damn," Paine sighed, shaking her head as she looked down.

"So, where are we going, exactly?" Yuna asked.

Paine lifted her head, "The-" Rikku punched Paine in the arm to silence her and gave her a murderous stare. "What, you want it to be a surprise?" She asked.

Rikku nodded, "Well, duh! I mean, it was for me, you know?"

Paine snorted, "Fine." Her eyes went back to Yuna. "The _place_ where we're going was built by the Al Bhed. Who are, by the way, geniuses."

"Yes we are!" Rikku proclaimed with a firm nod. Yuna smiled at her cousin, while Paine rolled her eyes.

"If you really want to know," Paine said to Yuna in a low voice, "just ask her in a clever way, and her brain will short out. She'll tell you _anything_." Rikku started punching Paine repeatedly in the arm at this.

"Big damn meanie!" She yelled in between blows. Paine fended her off before catching the girl's wrists. Rikku struggled against Paine's grip, but it was useless.

"You have two options," Paine said, once Rikku had settled down. "Either you stop this now, or I break your arms. You decide." Rikku's eyes lowered, and she nodded her compliance. Paine released her, and she immediately went back to eating, though she mumbled darkly in between bites. Yuna couldn't help but giggle at the way the two acted around each other.

This raised the question: "Do you two . . work together often?"

Paine nodded, "Yes. Unfortunately, we were paired as partners."

Yuna's smile grew, "Well, it seems to me that the two of you would just as soon kill each other than anyone else."

"Believe me, Yuna," Paine sighed, "I have considered it in the past. Sadly, morals and the thought of consequences always keep me from doing so."

"But, most importantly, she knows that deep, deep down she really does love me," Rikku said, jumping up to get more food.

Paine lowered her head, "I officially have two things that I feel need to be said, at this point."

"Mm-hm?" Rikku hummed absentmindedly, her back still to the two.

"First: I loathe you, plain and simple." She said, looking up to see Rikku flash her an "I'm sure you do" smile. "Second," she persevered, "for the sake of Daceon, _stop eating_!" Yuna was laughing out loud at this point. An evil glimmer entered Rikku's green eyes. Paine ducked just seconds before Rikku launched a spoonful of gruel at her.

"Damn!" Rikku stamped her foot. Yuna, who had already finished, pushed her bowl away and watched as her cousin tucked into her third serving.

"How _do _you eat so much, Rikku?" She asked.

Rikku sighed and set her spoon down. "I have a very slow metabolism," she answered calmly, looking up at Yuna.

Yuna giggled, a wide grin breaking out across her face, "I'm surprised you know what that means," she teased, causing Paine to start laughing.

Rikku groaned, "See? Look what you've done to her, Paine!" Rikku whined. "She's only been around you for _less_ than an _hour_ and you've already corrupted my cousin. Any longer and she'll be another _you_!"

"The world could do with another one of those, Rikku," Paine replied through her laughter.

Yuna reached out and took hold of Rikku's hand, "I'm sorry, Rikku. I just couldn't help it."

"Oh, few seldom can," Paine muttered, eyes roaming the room.

Rikku ignored the warrior, "I don't really care anymore," she sulked. "I was just hoping that _you_ of all people wouldn't make fun of me!"

Yuna bit her lip, feeling guilty for the remark. "I'll try harder not to, Rikku. I promise," she said softly. With a last glance at Paine, Yuna stood and left for the deck, leaving the two partners to their own business. The boat rocked as it went over a swell, almost sending Yuna to the deck. Managing to steady herself, she walked to the edge of the boat, placing her hands on the side for support as she gazed out to the sea.

She felt a rising burn in her chest; a sweeping air of freedom as she watched the ocean. Wind tossed her hair, and a cool spray enveloped her as the boat sliced through a swell. As if she was a candle assaulted by the sea, she felt her enthusiasm quelled, and her eyes sank to the wood beneath her hands. _I-I shouldn't be feeling this way_, she told herself bitterly. _It's not right . . how can it be?_

Something in the corner of her eye caught her attention. Her gaze slid to the windows above the deck. Something moved out of her line of vision, and she furrowed her brow curiously. Throwing a glance back at the door to her right, she headed to the one in front of her, slowly opening it and heading up the stairs beyond. She paused halfway up when she heard voices, and slowly crept up the rest of the stairs.

Two men, one with blonde hair, the other with black hair, were standing on either side of a large table. The dark-haired man held a tankard in one hand, the other he laid on the table, pointing out something on a map. _This must be Caalen and Baddon_, Yuna realized. She was about to leave, as quietly as she had come, when one – the blonde haired man – said, "Visitor," so matter-of-factly that it was almost funny.

"Yes, I can see that, Caalen," the other, whom Yuna now guessed to be Baddon, replied. He looked up at Yuna, who started when she saw his eyes. "Welcome aboard the _Talisman_, Lady Yuna."

Yuna slowly cleared the last steps and looked around at the deck's interior. "How does she move?" She asked, perplexed as to the nature of the vessel. "There are no sails, no oars. I don't understand."

"Al Bhed innovation," Caalen beamed. Yuna finally noticed his eyes. Just like Rikku's. "The rest of the world may use oarsmen, still, but we're far beyond that, now. Don't even need sails, really."

"So . . what _do_ you use?" She asked.

Caalen went to the bridge's stern, directing her attention to the mechanism at the back of the boat, "Paddle wheel, ma'am." He answered. "It moves by chocobo power, which is nearly limitless."

"Provided, of course, that you feed them, water them, and switch them out at regular intervals," Baddon said.

"Yeah, I was getting to that," Caalen grumbled. "Most ships these days use steam power, though," he continued, meeting Yuna's gaze.

Yuna had never heard of this kind of propulsion before, "'Steam'?"

"It requires a larger crew to maintain," Caalen explained, "but it's more powerful than chocobos, so it can move larger, heavier ships and they'll _still_ go faster than this little . . ." He trailed off. "Yeah. By the way, your cousin," he pointed at the floor, "has a really _weird_ fascination with those stupid, yellow work-birds." Yuna smiled softly at this, able to imagine Rikku fawning over the animals.

"Back to the point," Baddon said. "They are most common on warships, which _are_ bigger and heavier."

"Oh," Yuna nodded, but she was still confused. How much more advanced _were_ the Al Bhed than the rest of Spira? "So, do you two work with Rikku and Paine very much?" She asked.

Caalen shook his head, "Nah. We're just along for the mission."

"They needed a ship, and we were docked." Baddon explained. "We were 'volunteered' for the job."

"We're the greasemonkeys," Caalen added, a big grin on his face.

"Workers behind the scenes."

"Extras."

"Aid."

"Wouldn't be here otherwise."

"Mostly pointless additions."

"We're the backup."

"The easiest job that nobody ever wants," Baddon finished, taking a swig from his tankard. Yuna found herself giggling at their little back-and-forth. It was fairly reminiscent of how Rikku and Paine acted around one-another.

"Are you two partners, as well?" She asked, linking her hands behind her back and cocking her head cutely.

The two looked at each other and then back at her, "Yes." They answered at once, each sounding miserable in their own way.

"And this is your ship?" She looked around at the bridge.

"Yeah, we were marines by trade," Caalen said proudly. He took note of the confusion written on Yuna's face. "Oh. Right, no war," he murmured thoughtfully.

Baddon, in a business-like manner, explained, "Marines are soldiers employed on naval vessels for the purpose of invading enemy ships and protecting sailors from invasion by hostile marines."

"So, what happened?" Yuna asked.

Caalen made a face and turned away. "Mishap with authority," Baddon answered for his partner, shooting the younger man an irritated glance.

"Was it serious?" Yuna asked with a laugh.

"They thought it was," Caalen mumbled, his hand hiding his mouth shamefully.

"Yes, and '_they_' are usually right," Baddon added, with emphasis.

"It was an accident!" Caalen cried indignantly, arms gesticulating wildly.

"No, _you_ are an accident!" Baddon hissed. They both stopped when the door opened, and Yuna turned to find Rikku bounding up the steps. She stopped at the top, a wide grin plastered on her face.

"Oh! I see you found the sausage fest!" She said innocently, a mischievous twinkle in her eyes. This elicited a number of disgusted complaints from the two marines, which Rikku either ignored or argued against.

Yuna interrupted her cousin, "Rikku, you probably shouldn't entice them like that," she advised.

"Oh, they don't care!" The blonde waved her hand dismissively.

"Don't be so certain," Caalen grumbled, fingering one of the arrows in the quiver hanging from his belt. The door opened again, and this time it was Paine coming up the stairs.

"I kicked her out of the commons," the warrior explained. "Looks like she needed someone else to pester."

Rikku stamped her foot indignantly, "I was just looking for Yunie!"

Paine worked her mouth, "Mm, you found her _and_ everyone else. Seems to me like you wanted to bother someone." Rikku walked to the other side of the room, sulking as she stared out the window. Yuna looked worriedly between her cousin and the warrior, but said nothing. Paine moved further into the bridge, "Why don't you two get some rest. I'll take shift 'til nightfall."

"Sounds good to me," Caalen quickly agreed, shooting a defiant glare Baddon's way. With a little salute to Paine, and a nod to Yuna, he took off.

Paine turned to the remaining marine, "You gonna head him off?" She asked, arching an eyebrow quizzically.

"Of course," Baddon answered with a nod, leaving via the trap door. Now that it was just the three of them, Yuna went to Rikku and laid a hand on her shoulder.

"You okay?" She asked, concern lacing her voice.

Rikku gave her a cheery smile, "'Course I am!" She chirped. "Just wanted to get out of the way, is all." Yuna looked at her dubiously. Rikku sighed reluctantly, "Okay, okay!" She held up her hands in a defeated gesture, "I learned my lesson a while back. If I want people to stop making fun of me, I just walk away. No point in trying to fight back, you know? Always makes things worse." She gave her cousin a fragile smile and left the bridge.

Yuna watched Paine steer for a little bit and slowly walked towards her. "You shouldn't be so mean to her," she said, her voice soft, but firm.

The warrior chuckled, smiling tightly, "I had a feeling you'd say that, you know," she stated. Yuna's eyes wandered from Paine to Rikku, who now leaned against the prow of the boat. Paine felt a slight itch to comment on how the bow, given the size of the boat and the current choppiness of the sea, was not a great place to be right now. She decided to ignore it, and continued with what she had been saying. "You feel a need to stick up for people, don't you?" She asked, catching Yuna a little off guard. "You want to help people, putting general concern for yourself behind the well being of others, right?" She glanced back at Yuna expectantly. The island girl searched Paine's eyes shortly, and only nodded in response. "Well," she looked back out the window, "that's a good trait, in some cases. It does show you're selfless, like when you worry about your people, or your cousin. But, if you never think of yourself, or if you just _stop_ thinking of yourself, it could become a dangerous habit. Maybe even deadly," she warned. "Just pick your battles based off statistics, not emotion."

"Spoken like a true warrior," Yuna murmured.

Paine laughed, "Is that a bad thing?"

"Maybe," Yuna answered, avoiding Paine's gaze when she looked back. "Depends on the individual's interpretation of the dogma you were trained under."

"Goes for anything with a strict code of adherence," Paine pointed out swiftly.

"Touche," Yuna relented softly. She looked back out the window and gasped, a hand covering her mouth. The boat had hit a particularly large swell, which blasted Rikku with water.

"This is what I deal with," Paine deadpanned, her tone expressing an "I told you so" mindset. Yuna started to giggle, which quickly evolved into bubbling laughter. It proved infectious, and Paine found herself chuckling along with Yuna's more boisterous mirth. The two watched Rikku yell at the sea as she trudged, sopping wet, back to the commons below deck. Paine quieted first, though a small smirk remained as she watched Yuna fighting to calm herself.

Once she had managed to gain control of her demeanor, Yuna smiled at Paine and said, "You know, maybe you're not as hardened as you'd like people to think." She had said it innocently, but it resonated differently with the warrior, who took it as a sign that she had let her guard down. Her expression immediately changed to one much more serious, and she focused on piloting the boat and not looking at Yuna. Though, she found it hard not to look back at the girl every so often, which she found odd, to say the least. Of course, she didn't want to seem arrogant, or anything. But she was not generally very expressive, emotionally. She preferred not to be, especially with or around others. The fact that had slipped momentarily with the island princess alarmed her.

Rikku joined them on the bridge a little later, having changed into drier clothes – though her hair was still damp from the soaking. She kept Yuna company, for the most part. Paine found herself softening a little whenever Yuna would address her. She could hardly help it, there was just something soothing and open about the girl that made her feel comfortable when speaking to her. She struggled to keep herself in check, especially with Rikku around. Fayth help her should that girl learn that Paine had _any_ soft streak of any kind at all. She would find herself coping with this alien openness by throwing sniping comments Rikku's way here and there, keeping up an impression of normalcy, as per usual. Yuna would, of course, adamantly defend her cousin, even if she found herself amused by some of Paine's remarks.

Yuna had her own shock to deal with. While not one quite so personal as Paine's, it did register as an oddity to her. She felt at home with the two of them. Rikku had been like a sister to Yuna for years when they were children, until one day she left with her father for reasons left unexplained. And it felt almost like they were just picking up where they left off. She was still the hyper, cheery, lovable little blonde that she had always been, and she treated Yuna no differently than she had then. And then there was Paine. Apparently having accepted that Yuna was not going to be a stuck up, arrogant child of nobility like she had assumed, Paine treated her as she would any person, though maybe not _quite_ as coldly, she collected. In any case, Yuna felt her old bonds with Rikku easily reconnected, and then newer ones forming with the mysterious warrior. Albeit not quite as strong as her relationship with Rikku, but she felt that Paine was someone she could probably call a friend in the future, possibly. Basically, in other words, she was happy. And after all that had just happened, she found herself surprised that she could feel so liberated and so comfortable with these two girls like she was. It stunned her, but it was not anywhere near unpleasant.

Night came soon, it seemed to the three. Paine heralded the end of their shift by locking the ship on its course, at least until Baddon and Caalen took the helm. They went below deck, finding the two already awake and preparing for their shift, each with a tankard of beer in hand.

"Why beer?" Yuna asked, her nose crinkling as she eyed the drinks.

"Water becomes stagnant too fast," Paine supplied absentmindedly as she looked through the boat's store of provisions. "Besides, that stuff," she nodded to the keg, "is like liquid bread. Keeps you from starving, and then knocks you out at night."

"Aye, that it does!" Caalen toasted, grinning stupidly and drawing a laugh from Rikku.

"It's a marine staple, even though these two could be eating _real_ food," Paine grumbled. "I guess old habits die hard, though."

Baddon chuckled grimly, "You and I both know very well that they do, Paine."

"Eh?" Yuna asked, looking between the two for answers.

"Never you mind," Paine said, though not unkindly. Just firm enough to let her know not to pry into this.

"Well," Caalen stood and stretched, "I guess we'll be going up. And you," he pointed at Rikku, "You stay away from my birds. They're fed, their comfy, and they don't want you scaring them. Ihtancdyht?"

Rikku responded in her own language, "E tuh'd clyna dras, yht oui nih dras nykkat, zylgycc!" Yuna was at such a loss that the two Al Bhed actually shared a laugh at her dumbfounded expression. Caalen mussed Rikku's hair before leaving, eliciting an annoyed growl from the girl. Baddon followed his companion without a word.

"Sorry, Yunie," Rikku giggled with a little shrug.

"Oh, that's all right, Rikku," Yuna said with a smile. "I just wasn't expecting . . well . . that."

"Hm," Paine grunted. "Dinner may be a problem," she informed.

"Ooh, ooh!" Rikku started bouncing excitedly. "Lemme cook! Lemme cook!" She pleaded, giving the warrior big, puppy dog eyes.

Paine raised her eyebrows, "No! I actually want some kind of meal, and besides, it would be rude to kill your cousin now that you've _just_ reconciled with her!"

"I could make something," Yuna offered shyly. The two looked at her in stunned silence. Taking this as an invitation, Yuna stood and looked through the store of provisions. There was a small sack of potatoes, dried meat that could be used for cooking, and even some spices – more than likely intended for curing or preserving meats. In any case, she quickly went to work, the other two stepping aside and observing. She filled a pot with water from one of the kegs and set it on the stove to start boiling. As she waited, she went to work on the potatoes and meat, occasionally adding some of the spices to the water.

Paine folded her arms over her chest, "Wow," she chuckled, shaking her head in disbelief.

"What?" Yuna asked as she went back to check on the water.

"Just . . ." Paine ran her fingers through her hair. "Never thought a princess knew how to cook." The look Yuna threw back at her made her shiver a little. "Sorry," she amended before the brunette could toss boiling water at her. Rikku gasped, drawing a glare from Paine. "What?" The warrior growled.

Rikku wasn't fazed. At all.

"Did you just get _scared_?" Rikku whispered, a huge smile on her face, and her eyes alight with that mischievous twinkle of hers. Paine was an inch away from attacking the little thief.

"Oh, Paine?" Yuna asked in a singsong voice. Paine's eyes slid to Yuna, who tapped the pot with a spoon, smiling sweetly. Paine relented from her physical threats, resigning instead to merely staring murderously at the blonde. The soup was ready after what seemed like an agonizingly long period of simmering and settling, and Yuna stood back after pouring them each a bowl to see their reactions.

She was not disappointed.

Rikku devoured it like she was starved, Paine just nodding her approval as she ate. Before pouring some for herself, and to neither of the girls' surprise, Yuna ladled some into two bowls and brought them to Baddon and Caalen. The Al Bhed of the pair just scratched his head in embarrassment as he accepted his bowl, and Baddon nodded gratefully, thanking her for her consideration.

"Yep," Rikku giggled when Yuna rejoined them, "Still the same ol' Yunie!"

Paine set her spoon down, "Think I'll actually be having seconds." She froze when Rikku grabbed her wrist, her expression menacing.

"Mine," she growled.

Paine sighed, "Really?"

"Well . . ." Rikku's eyes roamed to the ceiling thoughtfully. While in this reverie, Paine tore loose from Rikku's grip and went to pour herself some more. "Hey!" Rikku cried.

They wound up finishing all of the soup left in the pot before long, with Yuna only having just the one bowl. Rikku had, of course, eaten more than both she and Paine combined. Paine, speaking of whom, had poured herself a tankard of beer after finishing what became her last serving. She had been nursing it slowly as the two watched Rikku eating in amused silence.

"So," Yuna started, cautiously, "Is there anything at all you can tell me?" Paine and Rikku exchanged glances. "Like, maybe, who sent you?"

Rikku tilted her head in thought, "Well, who in particular, no, but-"

"We work for an organization – of sorts – called the Wilderlanders," Paine cut her off. "You'll be told more once we get to . . where we're going," she said, throwing an annoyed look Rikku's way. "So, that's all we can say, for now." She took a swig of her drink.

"What does that even taste like?" Yuna inquired, a subtle curve to her lips.

Paine chuckled, "Words do not exist to describe just how absolutely Fayth-awful this shit really is," she answered. "But, you get used to it. That takes some doing, of course. Hell, first time I ever had any, I almost choked!"

Yuna turned to her cousin, who was just pushing away her last, empty bowl, "What about you, Rikku? Have you ever tried it?"

The girl nodded miserably, shutting her eyes at the memory, "Once. On a dare." She cracked open one eye.

"What happened?" Yuna asked with a laugh. Instead of using words, Rikku mimed her head exploding, causing Yuna to giggle and Paine to just shake her head.

"Pretty commonplace, actually," Paine noted. Smirking slyly, she held out her tankard to Yuna, "Want a taste?"

Yuna shook her head, "Uh, no. Thank you."

Rikku chuckled, "Come on, Yunie! I dare you," she prodded, smiling maniacally. Yuna looked down at the drink, which Paine was now moving in little circles as she proffered it.

Yuna gave a defeated sigh, "All right, fine!" She sent each of the girls an evil stare before taking the tankard from the warrior. She raised it to her lips, eyes staring pleadingly at the two from over the rim.

"Nuh-uh!" Rikku waved a finger at her cousin. "Try it." Yuna groaned, and tipped the tankard back. Paine and Rikku leaned forward, watching expectantly. Yuna thumped the tankard down, one eye shut tight as she swallowed, her expression a mix between a smile and a grimace as she pursed her lips against the flavor.

"That's disgusting!" She coughed, pushing the drink away as if it were evil.

"Don't I know it," Paine said, downing the rest of the beer quickly. Yuna just stared in shock.

"Show off!" She accused.

The warrior shrugged, "Be that as it may," she stood and stretched, "Bed time." She looked at Rikku. "Meaning now. Come on." She clapped her hands, rousing the two girls to their feet. She led them to the quarters that Yuna realized she'd woken up in, which was now lit only by a single oil lamp on the wall.

"Uh-oh," Rikku murmured, biting her lip as she looked over the two bunks. "Looks like someone's gonna have to share."

Paine headed her off with: "I'm not going to be sharing a bed with you." Rikku's shoulders sagged.

"I'll share with someone," Yuna offered. The look Paine gave her hinted back to their earlier discussion on the bridge.

Rikku quickly raised her hands, "She can share with me! We used to do it all the time, it'll be like we were kids again!"

Paine rolled her eyes, "She'll bunk with me," she stated.

Yuna blinked, "Huh?"

"I'll be doing you a favor, trust me," the warrior said, shutting the door with a kick. Rikku quickly clambered onto the top bunk, claiming it as her own. Yuna slipped onto the lower bunk, turning onto her side and facing the wall. Paine sighed, knowing that Yuna had purposely given her the most room. She put out the lamp before sliding in next to the brunette, laying on her back. Her eyes moved to Yuna, though she could not actually see the girl. "You know, Rikku, there's a reason I didn't just turn out the lights in the first place," she revealed.

"And just what would that be?" The thief asked.

"If I'd done it beforehand you'd probably have crashed into the wa- Ow!" She stared to her left in stunned silence. Yuna, who was now smiling to herself, had elbowed Paine in the side.

"Nighty-night, Yunie!" Rikku yawned cheerfully, having guessed what happened.

"Goodnight, Rikku," Yuna replied softly.

"Goodnight, Paine," Rikku said. Hearing no response, she tried again. More silence. So, she tried one more time.

"Rikku," Paine growled, "Shut up, and go to sleep."

"Goodnight to you, too, Dr. P." Rikku mumbled, drawing an aggravated groan from the warrior.

XXX

"We're not so unlike the waves, you know. The natural processes of the mind of mortals is so similar. First comes the elation. Feeding and following the ebb and flow of the tide. It rises, pulling up into the sky. Growing higher and higher with the swells. A terrible beast, so beautiful and yet so threatening. It becomes majestic, powerful, indestructible. Primordial. Impossible to comprehend by mortals. And then, just as it reaches its peak of power, it falls. It crashes down only to be swallowed up by the black abyss, becoming nothing more than one small part of the whole. It swirls, chaotic, trying to understand itself and where it is. Then it calms, smoothing out and settling, only for it to begin to rise again. Thus begins the cycle, anew. We are more connected to the world than we know, and maybe that's why we're so predictable. Because we're not so unlike the waves, after all."

Caalen stared at his partner in silence, once Baddon had finished. He blinked a few times, brow furrowed curiously. "Man," he finally said, shaking his head, "What have you been chewing on?"

Baddon sighed, "Never mind."

Al Bhed Translations

Caalen: Understand?

Rikku: I don't scare them, and you run them ragged, jackass!


	4. Chapter 3: Platform

Chapter 3: Platform

Waking up snuggled against Paine was definitely not in Yuna's "to do" list. She slowly opened her eyes and almost gasped. In her sleep she had managed to turn over and curl up against the silver haired warrior, as well as lay her head on the girl's shoulder. She knew that if she didn't move, when Paine woke up things could get a little awkward. Yuna shifted, trying to move closer to the wall behind her. Paine's eyes opened. She looked down at Yuna and arched an eyebrow.

Awkward.

Yuna felt herself blush, "I'm sorry." she said.

"Listen," she yawned, "I really don't care. Seven times out of ten you wind up like this when you bunk with someone. One of the reasons I didn't want to bunk with Rikku or let her sleep with you. Believe me, I don't know what she was like as a kid. But she can get _very_ friendly in her sleep."

Yuna slowly rolled onto her back, blushing at the thought, and looked at the ceiling. "Well in that case thank-you."

"Yeah, _that_ would've been awkward." Paine smirked. She sat up and threw her legs over the side of the bed. She pulled on her boots and walked over to Rikku, who was still very asleep. She was curled up atop the messy covers. Paine grabbed the four corners of the blankets and folded them over Rikku, gently wrapping her up.

"Paine, what're you . ." Yuna whispered. Paine cut her off.

"Shh, open the door." she whispered, jerking her head towards the door behind her. Yuna nodded and quietly opened it. Paine slid her hands under the bundle and lifted it up. Rikku must have woken up because she started squirming and yelling. Paine managed to hold her though.

She went out the door and Yuna followed. Paine reached the door to the galley and stopped, "Paine! Let me down, now! I know that's you!"

"Yuna, be a dear and open the door for me." Paine said, grinning. Rikku paused.

"Yunie? You're betraying me? How dare you! I'm your cousin! If Paine kills me I'm gonna haunt both of you!"

"Sorry, Rikku." Yuna giggled. She opened the door to the deck and let Paine go out first. Paine walked to the edge of the boat and held Rikku out over the edge.

"Paine! Let me down! _NOW!_" Paine turned to Yuna and winked. Yuna gasped when Paine made as to drop her cousin.

"Rikku," Paine said slowly, "I think you might wanna rephrase that demand. I'm holding you out over the edge of the boat."

"Oh right! Like I'm supposed to believe that!"

"Um, Rikku, she really is." Yuna said. The bundle stopped squirming.

"Now there's a good girl." Paine said. She turned around and dropped Rikku onto the deck. Rikku yelped when she hit the wood and started kicking to release herself from her cloth prison. Once she was standing she tried to punch Paine, but the warrior dodged her swing.

"Damn it, Paine, don't do that!" Rikku yelled.

"Fine, but Rikku, you're gonna bring those blankets back down to the cabin." Paine said. "I'm gonna make breakfast." she turned and walked to the galley. Rikku stooped down and picked up her blankets.

"Does she do that often?" Yuna asked.

Rikku shook her head, "This was the first time." she said.

_That's strange._

"So how much longer until we get to wherever we're going?" Yuna asked. Rikku stood, holding the bundle in her arms. She looked out to sea as if she could actually see their destination.

"About an hour, maybe a little more." she said. She hurried back through the galley to put the blankets back on the bed. Yuna looked out in the direction Rikku had been staring. She thought she could see something in the distance, but just put it off as her eyes playing tricks on her. She stayed out on the deck, watching the sea. Until Paine called out, saying that breakfast was ready.

It was the same stuff as yesterday. Yuna didn't mind. It was okay. Like the previous day, Rikku had three bowls of the stuff. She seemed to eat the most and the fastest. Once they were finished Yuna followed Paine up to the raised deck.

"About forty minutes now." Paine said, gazing out at a dark shape. Yuna realized that it was the same thing she thought she'd seen earlier. As they grew nearer, the shape grew larger at an alarming rate.

Yuna started seeing more boats and ships approaching and leaving the shape. _What is that thing?_ Rikku had joined Paine and Yuna. She watched her cousin's face eagerly once they could make out what the shape was.

A ship.

A single, massive ship. It wasn't shaped like any ship she'd ever seen either. It towered out of the ocean, looming over the other ships and boats. Yuna's jaw dropped at the sight. She was astounded. Completely dumbfounded. Rikku squealed at her reaction.

"So, whadda'ya think?" the blonde asked. Yuna just shook her head, at a complete loss for words.

"What is it?" she managed to ask.

"The _Nek_." Rikku said.

"That's Al-Bhed for rig." Paine said. She began to turn the wheel. Along the bottom of the ship was a huge, rectangular opening. Paine guided the boat into the opening. A huge row of docks lined the inside. Paine let the boat drift into the opening. A crew of Al-Bhed secured the boat to the dock while Paine and Rikku went down to the cabin to retrieve their weapons and cloaks. Paine had retrieved her leather armor as well.

They exited the boat and Yuna followed Paine and Rikku to the room they shared. "We'll get you settled first, see where you're staying. Then we'll get you debriefed." Paine said as they walked up a flight of stairs.

"We'll need to get you some new clothes, too." Rikku said.

"Sure." Yuna drawled, still in a daze.

"Still thinkin' about this place?" her cousin asked. Yuna nodded slowly. "Yeah, it's pretty cool." they moved to the side to avoid a group of people running down. "There are hidden weapons all along the outside of the ship, just in case any baddies wanna tussle with us!"

"You mean the, uh, Followers?" Yuna asked.

"Mm-hm." Paine nodded. "As I said, you'll be debriefed shortly. They walked up the stairs for a short while. Finally they lead her through a door and into a hallway lit by crystals that had been lined along the walls. Yuna stared at them in wonder as they passed.

"How . . what . ."

"Don't ask." Rikku said. "It's _way_ too complicated." Yuna just nodded. They reached a door. Painted on the door was a jagged spiral with two swords surrounding it. Paine pulled a key out of her pocket and unlocked the door. She pushed it open and walked in. At first the room was dark, but as they entered crystals on the walls lit the room.

There weren't many furnishings. Two beds, a table. A rack where numerous swords had been placed. A table covered in daggers and knives. Two wardrobes were in the room as well. There was one other door in the room. Paine and Rikku put their things in the separate wardrobes. Rikku picked up some clothes and ran through the other door, closing it behind her.

"Damn her, she's fast." Paine muttered.

"What's back there?" Yuna asked.

"Washroom. Each room has a supply of water. Boiled to clean it and kept warm for use."

"Wow." Yuna said. Paine nodded.

"Knowing blondie, she'll be in there for forever." she looked at Yuna, her eyes traveled up and down the brunette's body. It was unnerving. "We'll need to get you some new clothes." she murmured. She walked closer to Yuna and stopped just a few inches away. "Hmm, shorter than me, taller than Rikku." she nodded. "I'll be right back. Stay in here, this ship is really big and easy to get lost in." she walked out the door, closing it behind her.

Yuna stood in the same spot for a few minutes, a little nervous. She heard her cousin singing in the shower and giggled, she was actually pretty good. Yuna stepped slowly over to the table of knives and looked over the weapons. They were all different. Some were made to make the wound as painful as possible, to just make a mess. Others were made to make the attack as quick and clean as possible. Yuna thought about picking one up, but decided against it.

She walked over to the sword rack and looked at the swords. She had seen many, some for decoration and others for combat. There were many different kinds of swords here. Thin blades, fat blades. Short swords and long swords. No matter what kind it was, they were all beautiful. Made expertly. The blades were clean and very sharp.

Yuna shivered. She had never held a weapon before, and she didn't want to. She detested violence. A result of growing up on an island where there was no crime. Where there were no wars. Where no one cared about whether the Holy Bevelle Empire was still in power or whether the black armies of the Zanarkand Polemarch were sweeping across the mainland.

She didn't hear the door open and Paine walk in. "I made all of those myself." her voice startled Yuna, making her yelp. She whirled around to find Paine looking at her with a confused expression. "It was time consuming, but it paid off in the end." she threw a bundle of clothes onto a bed. "I can tell just by looking at you that you don't know how to use a sword, do you?"

"Nor would I want to." Yuna said shyly.

Paine placed a hand on her hip and sighed, "Well that's gonna be a problem. This isn't Besaid anymore, princess. This is serious. When Rikku gets out feel free to use to washroom first, I don't care." she pointed at the clothes. "Those are yours. You can leave them in here until we figure out where you're staying."

There was ten minutes of silence afterward. Yuna looked through the clothes and picked out something to wear. Rikku finally came out of the shower. Paine commented, saying she was surprised Rikku remembered clothes. When Paine got up to show Yuna how to get water into the tub Rikku whipped the warrior with her towel. Paine's growl made Yuna cringe.

After washing and drying, Yuna put on a pair of shorts, shoes, and a baggy white shirt with long, baggy sleeves. Paine told her to just leave her old dress in the room, she'd figure out something to do with it. When she came out of the washroom she found Paine talking to an Al-Bhed man. He quickly left and Paine turned to Yuna.

"He just said that the head of operations here wants to speak to you." she said. "Looks like you'll get your debriefing." she and Rikku led her to another flight of stairs. After a few minutes of climbing they finally led her out and into a large room. A huge table dominated the middle of the room. It was covered in papers. Maps and reports.

A number of people, men and women alike, were talking around the table. One of them finally noticed the three girls and smiled. He started walking over to them, another man followed him.

The first was bald and had a goatee. He looked oddly familiar to Yuna and was definitely Al-Bhed. The second man had very short brown blonde hair and was very tall. When the two men reached them the first man hugged Rikku.

"How's my little girl?" he asked. Rikku blushed.

"I'm fine, Pops, jeez." she said, laughing a little. Yuna suddenly realized who he was. Rikku's father, her uncle Cid.

Cid let go of his daughter and focused on Yuna, "Well, I haven't seen you since you where four. You've really grown!" he said with a laugh.

"It's been a long time, uncle Cid." Yuna said, smiling.

"You remember me! I thought you'd forget me." he said.

"How someone could forget you would be a shocker." Paine said, shaking her head. Cid just laughed. The second man nodded at Paine, he then focused his eyes on Yuna. Yuna's eyes surely widened when she saw the man's eyes. They were constantly changing color. A swirl of gray, green, pink, red and purple.

"Hello, Lady Yuna." the man said, bowing his head. "Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Fayne, but most call me Savage."

"Cid, Yuna needs to be debriefed." Paine said, stopping Fayne from saying anything more. Fayne gave her an odd look, Paine retaliated by narrowing her eyes at him. _Could there be something going on between those two?_

"Of course." Cid cleared his throat. "There's not much to say. Not too long ago, close to when Bevelle's empire started crumbling, just like we all knew it would, a bunch of crazy people started some weird religion. They're called the Followers. They worship the Farplane and have learned to manipulate pyreflies. They have the power to create fiends. They are growing in power and unfortunately Bevelle and Zanarkand are too worried about each other to deal with this threat. So the Al-Bhed formed an army to stop the Followers. We call ourselves the Leaders. Corny, yes, but it basically means we're their opposites. After a while people from all over Spira who knew about the Followers started to join us. Right now our forces are tied with theirs. We knew they were going to attack Besaid, so we . ."

"Wait!" Yuna cut him off. "You . . how did you know they were going to attack Besaid?"

"We got word of it. Some of our ships spotted them gathering a strike force."

"But why would they attack Besaid?" Yuna asked, confusion showing on her face.

Paine sighed, "Don't take this the wrong way, because of you." Yuna stared at her, speechless.

"They knew you were related to me and wanted to use you to get to us." Cid said, scratching the back of his neck. "We're sorry about what happened. We didn't think they'd use so much force."

"Lady Yuna." Fayne's voice drew her attention. Something about him, besides his eyes, was wrong with him. Yuna could feel it in the air. A kind of static, electrical, energy. Fayne was powerful, and that power was filling the air around them. "I know that this is hard for you. I lost my family in an attack as well. Do not blame yourself. These people are sick. Far more than you could imagine." as he said this he glanced at Paine, eyes asking a silent question. Paine shook her head, she barely moved it, but Yuna saw it.

"Well, that's it." Cid said, ending the silence that had fallen over the five. "Is there, uh, anything else you girls need?"

"Oh yeah, Yunie needs a room." Rikku said. Cid nodded. Cid called out something in Al-Bhed. A girl ran over. He said something to her and she nodded before running off.

"Just a moment." he said. The girl returned a moment later with a key. Cid took it and, after thanking her, handed it to Paine. "Help her find it?"

"Duh." Paine took the key and looked at it. She nodded, "Thanks."

"Hey, glad I could help." Cid ginned. He went back to the table, Fayne bowed his head once more to Yuna before following. The three girls turned and headed back to the stairs.

"So," Yuna started, "who's Fayne?"

"The head of operations around here." Paine said. "The _Nek_ may be Cid's baby, but Fayne is the mastermind of every major attack and operation that goes down. He trained me, and is the best fighter I've ever met."

"His weapon is also the sweetest!" Rikku giggled.

"Yeah, he uses a scythe." Paine said, shaking her head and smiling. "Seems like that'd slow him down, but he's just as fast with it as I am with a sword." they finally reached a hallway and as they started walking Yuna realized that, like Paine and Rikku's room, many had symbols painted on the doors, but they all looked different.

"Hey Paine?"

"Yeah?"

"What's with all the symbols on the doors?" Yuna asked.

"Well, each room that has someone in it has at least one symbol. Partners always share rooms, so if there's one person in a room there will be one symbol on the door. The instant someone else starts staying in the room a second symbol will be added to the first. I was here before Rikku, so the spiral on the door wasn't added until she became my partner."

"Oh." Yuna nodded, then she thought of something. "And me?"

Paine thought for a moment, "Well, I'm not sure what they'll put on your door. But by tomorrow there'll be one there. That's just how it happens." as they walked Yuna realized that they passed Rikku and Paine's room. Two doors down was a blank door. Paine unlocked this one and handed Yuna the key.

"Hey! Look how close you are!" Rikku shouted excitedly.

Paine sighed, "Hey! Maybe you could have a sleep over in her room!" Paine said, sarcasm lacing her voice. Yuna almost blushed, remembering what Paine had said about Rikku that morning. "At least you'd be away from me." the warrior murmured.

Rikku opened the door and went in. Paine walked back to her room to get Yuna's clothes. Yuna's room was similar to Rikku and Paine's. Minus the sword rack. Paine came back with Yuna's clothes and Yuna put them away.

"I'll let you get used to the room. Tomorrow we'll show you around the _Nek_." Paine said. She left and went back to her room. Rikku stayed with Yuna.

*******

The three of them had gone down to the galley later for dinner. A little later the three got ready to go to sleep. Paine came out of the washroom wearing what she used to sleep in, just a really long shirt. She saw Rikku and mock sighed.

"I see the Fayth didn't spare me." she said.

"Ha-ha, you know you love me." Rikku said, flashing a sweet smile before getting into her bed.

"Mm, not so much." Paine, getting into her own bed. The crystals in the room dimmed until the room was dark.

"Nighty-night, Painey." Rikku said with a giggle.

"You use that dumbass nickname again and I'll kill you."

Author's Note: _Okay, I know I didn't cover the living Fayth thing, but that will come later. There's a reason they haven't told her everything yet, just please be patient._

- Thank-you for reading.


	5. Chapter 4: Flower

Chapter 4: Flower

Waking up in an unfamiliar bed, in an unfamiliar place, and in unfamiliar clothes was very . . disorienting. Or at least, that's how Yuna felt. She was awake for a good five minutes before she opened her eyes, afraid of what she'd find. Either everything that had happened had been real, or she'd open her eyes to find herself in her room on Besaid.

She knew which it was.

With a light sigh she opened her eyes and rolled onto her back, staring up at the ceiling. Her eyes darted along lines in the rough wood, tracing out patterns and pictures that her imagination created. _You need to get up now_.

She sighed, _I know, I know_.

Yuna kicked the blankets off and threw her legs over the side of the bed. The wooden floor was smooth, but cold. Yuna quickly ran into the washroom and pulled the lever that allowed hot water to be poured into the tub. She did away with her clothes and slowly stepped into the water.

The water was not scalding, but it was still hot. She hissed when her foot made contact with the water but as she slowly slid in she became used to it. For a minute or so she merely sat there, the water relaxing her. She groaned and picked up one of the bars of soap that each room was apparently stocked with.

Bathing quickly, she stood and reached out to take a cord in her hand. In order to get the rest of the soap off, a secondary mechanism had been installed over the tub. She pulled the cord and water rushed down over her. It was ice cold and she shrieked when it hit her, her breath leaving her in the freezing shock.

Now slightly shivering, Yuna stepped out of the tub and pulled the lever again to drain the water. She dried off and went back into the main room. She opened the wardrobe and picked out a dress that ended mid-thigh.

Most of the clothes Paine had gotten for her had been a little bland, but among the clothes were two, colorful dresses. The dress had two colors on it: Blue and purple. Thin straps on her shoulders held it up. A single pocket was on the right of the dress, near the hip. She put it on and stepped into her shoes, she also dropped her key into the pocket. As she was heading for the door a sharp knock made her jump. This was followed by more knocking, very fast knocking.

Yuna opened the door to find Rikku standing there. Her cousin grinned, "Mornin', did ya' sleep well?"

"Yeah." Yuna said. She had had trouble falling asleep, but afterward she slept throughout the night without any nightmares.

"Great! Paine's takin' a bath right now, but once she's finished we'll go get breakfast and start your tour after, 'kay?"

"Sure, Yuna nodded, a smile slowly forming on her lips. Rikku started talking about a dream she'd had. To say the least it was kind of weird. She was glad when Paine finally showed up, dressed in cotton pants and a tight, sleeveless shirt that Yuna had to stop herself from staring at. The fact she had to do that unnerved her.

"By the Fayth, Rikku, are you talking about that weird-ass dream of yours again?" the warrior asked.

Rikku frowned, "It's not weird." she pouted.

"Well it's scary." Paine said with a smirk. "I'm hungry, you two coming for breakfast?" she asked. The cousins nodded. Yuna closed her door and, as she locked it, remembered the symbol, only to find that her door was still bare. She was a little disappointed.

Rikku noticed this, "Aw, don't worry, they usually don't get em' on till later."

"I wonder what they'll use for her." Paine thought aloud.

Rikku shrugged, "Maybe a palm tree." Yuna looked a little worried at the thought.

Paine scoffed, "That's . . never mind, come on." she turned and started for the stairs, followed closely by Rikku and Yuna. The galley, or mess hall, depending on what you wanted to call it, was only three or so floors below. It was big. Taking up most of the floor. There were numerous lines, that way people wouldn't have to wait for forever to get food.

They were a little early, so none of the lines were too long. They chose the shortest line, naturally, and got their food. Rikku would call out to people at nearby table and wave energetically at them. Three people dressed in clothing similar to what Paine wore the previous day passed by, all three nodding to the silver-haired warrior, she acknowledged the three with a single nod.

The food was not spectacular. Egg, sausage, a slice of fruit and a piece of bread. They drank water. They sat at a small table while they ate. Every so often someone would walk by who would stop and chat with Rikku, most notably other hyper, Al-Bhed girls. No one stopped to talk to Paine, but Yuna could see her acknowledging people who walked by.

A larger group of people sat down at a nearby table. They were all men and half seemed to be Al-Bhed. Five minutes later Rikku spilled her drink. According to Paine, this was natural. Rikku, without saying anything, got up and went to get a cloth to clean up the spill. When she came back, she passed the nearby table.

"Hey, why don't you come over here and sit with us?" one of them yelled when she passed. Rikku glanced at them, green eyes like poisoned daggers, but kept walking.

"Aw, now why are you gonna just ignore us like that, huh?" one laughed. "Come on now, you know you want some of this." this was followed by much jeering. Rikku picked up the pace and quickly cleaned up the spill before sitting down and staring at the table.

One of the guys noticed Yuna, "Hey, who's the new girl? She looks nice." he said, laughing.

"Yeah, ya' know, they could both join us over here."

"Shut the hell up!" Paine growled, glaring at the other table.

There was a quick laugh followed by, "Hey, if you're jealous you can come too." three of the guys stood up and walked over to Yuna's table. They stood behind her and her cousin. One placed his hands on Yuna's shoulders, making her freeze. He leaned down close to her ear and whispered, "You look kinda lonely, I can fix that for ya'." he grinned, but before he could say anything more Yuna felt his hands leave and then heard him yell. This was followed by a _thud!_

Yuna looked up to see not only the other two guys, but the whole other table, was frozen in fear. Fayne was standing behind Yuna, the man who had whispered to her was on the floor some five feet back. The look he was giving the group made Paine's seem tame in comparison. "Show some respect, you animals." he growled. He walked over to Yuna and bowed his head. "Lady Yuna, allow me to apologize for their behavior. I will see to it myself that they are reprimanded and that they will not harass you any longer." with that he turned towards the other table. An evil smile twisted his lips, "I hope you boys have had a good breakfast, because I'm going to run you ragged!" he walked over to their table.

"They call him Savage for a reason." Rikku whispered to Yuna. "Notice how it only took his being there to shut them up?"

Paine chuckled, "Notice how most of them are gonna shit their pants?"

"Pretty much what I was going for." Rikku mumbled.

"Well, you weren't being clear enough." Paine said. They finished eating and left their plates for the cleaners to get. As they left the mess hall, Rikku turned to her partner.

"So, what're we gonna show her first?" the blonde asked, tilting her head a little.

"I know." Paine said and started up the stairs. They went up close to five floors. They came out in another large room, only this room was used for a very different purpose. Mats covered much of the floor. Weapons racks covered by swords, spear, daggers, bow-staffs and multiple other weapons were scattered around the room.

Practice dummies, wooden poles, metal plates and other things were all around the room. It was a training room. Paine smiled, "This is where I and others go to unwind or stay at our peak."

"I don't like the gym." Rikku muttered. "Smells bad."

"Shut up, Rikku." Paine said with a sigh. "That's a load of bull anyway, you never come here."

"Yeah, 'cause it smells bad." Rikku whined. "Can we leave now?"

Paine sighed, "Fine, but someday, this week, I'm taking you in here and I'm gonna hurt you."

"What, with one of those padded staffs?" Rikku said with a laugh.

"Well, I don't want to kill you, so yes." Paine said. Rikku started laughing, thinking that her partner was kidding. Paine looked completely serious.

"Eh-heh, uh, no!" Rikku said defiantly. Paine arched an eyebrow.

"I'm afraid this is nonnegotiable." Paine said with a smirk. Rikku hung her head.

"I can feel it now." she murmured, making Yuna giggle.

"Okay, little one, your turn." Paine said, gesturing to the door with her hand.

Rikku looked up and tilted her head, "Huh?"

"I'm tryin' to think of all that she needs to see. You can show her something if you want to."

Rikku nodded and started for the door, as she passed through the frame she flinched, "Owie!"

"Rikku?" Yuna asked, concern in her voice.

"I'm fine, just thinking of what Paine wants to do." she said with a sigh.

"You mean _will_ do." Paine said, a proud smile on her face. Rikku led them down, past the galley, and then further into the _Nek_. After a few minutes Paine's eyes widened.

"Are you fucking serious?!" she groaned.

Rikku whirled around, looking a little ticked, "Shh! Don't use that kind of language around here!" she whispered.

"Why do you care, they'll learn it sooner or later." Paine snapped.

"Yeah, _later_, not right now!" Rikku turned and started down the corridor again. They came out in a large room filled with . . with . .

"Is this a nursery?" Yuna asked, completely lost.

"Your cousin's adoration for children and babies is a little on the creepy side, Yuna." Paine said, pinching the bridge of her nose. Yuna looked over at her cousin, who was absolutely beaming. A huge smile was plastered on her face and her eyes were glowing as she watched the babies.

"Why is there a . ." Yuna started.

"Because. A lot of people have kids and most of the time can't take care of them during the day, so we made a nursery." Rikku said happily, practically bouncing.

"You mean that it was _your_ idea to make a nursery." Paine stated, her voice having taken on an irritated monotone.

"Yeah, so do you have a point?" Rikku asked. She moved right up in front of the warrior and, standing on the tips of her toes, got right in her face. "Huh? Huh? Huh? Do ya'?"

"I don't have a _point_, but if you don't get out of my face in exactly two seconds you're gonna have a _knot_ in the middle of your forehead!" Paine growled. Rikku backed up about a foot, but was still glaring at the silver-haired girl.

"And they paired you two together?" Yuna asked, eyes wide. Neither moved, but they did turn their eyes to look at the brunette.

"Yes." they both said in unison.

"Well I think someone very high up is out to get both or one of you." Yuna said, giggling. Paine looked like she was rolling the idea over in her head.

The warrior shrugged, "Makes sense."

Rikku looked lost, "Wait, what?"

Paine shook her head, "Never you mind. Okay, I've thought of some places that Yuna actually _needs_ to see. So lets go." she turned and started out. Rikku and Yuna followed close behind her. Rikku complaining to have the remark explained.

*******

The day passed slowly as Paine and Rikku showed Yuna around the ship. They helped her remember where certain rooms and areas were located. All of what Paine showed her was important in some way. Although, most of what Rikku showed her didn't really seem that important, borderline idiotic, according to Paine.

Near the end of the day, after dinner, they returned to their rooms. Rikku and Paine were both interested to see what Yuna's symbol would be. Yuna was nervous, hoping it wouldn't be something weird or completely random. Rikku was tired after a day of walking around the massive _Nek_. But the closer they got to Yuna's room, the more excited she got. It came to the point where she was actually starting to bounce down the hall, humming all the while.

"Rikku, If you don't stop that your little lesson is going to be much earlier and far more painful."

"Oopsie." Rikku replied, laughing nervously.

"I can't really blame her." Yuna said, grinning. "I'm really nervous too." they passed Paine and Rikku's room and Yuna stopped. Paine and Rikku both walked past her and then turned back, both confused.

"Uh, you comin', Yunie?" Rikku asked, scratching the back of her head.

"I . . uh . . I'm not sure if . . just, uh, go and look at it first, tell me if it's any good." Paine shrugged and started towards Yuna's room. "And don't lie about it!" the two girls stopped at Yuna's door. For a minute neither said a word.

"Yunie, come here." Rikku said, motioning with her hand. Yuna moved tentatively. Slowly she approached her room. She gasped when she saw the design.

Painted on Yuna's door in black lines was a flower. The long stem was curved and covered in thorns as well as four leaves. Yuna smiled when she saw the image, instantly realizing what it was. A rare flower that grew only on Besaid. There were no colors, but the flower itself was extraordinary. The bottom of the petals were blue, the top a deep purple, the middle a crimson red. And they had a smell that made the perfumes of Besaid coveted by many a noble from Bevelle and Zanarkand. Not to mention a favored scent in Luca.

Paine nodded, a small smile tugging at the corners of her mouth, _They actually did a really good job this time_. She looked at Yuna, her eyes traveled the woman's form. Her creamy skin, beautiful hair, enchanting eyes, _The flower of Besaid_.

"Well, I'm going to bed. Goodnight, and thank-you for showing me around." Yuna bowed quickly and went into her room, looking absolutely giddy. Paine and Rikku returned to their room and got ready to go to bed. After changing, Paine slid under the covers and closed her eyes.

She felt something hit the bed, she shot up into a sitting position, eyes wide. Rikku was laying on her bed and giggling hysterically. "What the hell was that?!" Paine asked, looking wildly at the blonde.

Rikku caught her breath and slid up the bed to give Paine a hug, "Just wanted to see how heavy a sleeper you were." Rikku said. "Sorry."

"I wasn't even asleep yet, now get in your own bed." Paine growled. Rikku frowned but let go of her partner and complied. After the lights had gone out, Paine tried to go back to sleep. The last thing that went through her mind was the image of the flower, and Yuna.

Author's Notes: _Originally this chapter was four or five pages long. I wrote it at around one in the morning a few days ago, but never got around to looking it over. I had written it after days of little sleep, so when I finally got a chance(today) I realized it was crap. So I went through and cleaned it up as much as I could, gave it a little length. Sorry for the delay, I've been really busy lately. I hope you enjoy this chapter. _

- Thank-you for reading.


	6. Chapter 5: Mutual

Chapter 5: Mutual

Yuna slowly felt herself drawn back into reality. Ripped from her dreams and into the world. Always an unpleasant transition, an unwelcome change. She enjoyed the safety of her dreams. The only times she didn't mind waking was during a nightmare.

Her dreams had been strange. A garden of steel. Blades jutting up from the ground like trees. Shrubs that had daggers instead of branches. The air had been cold. Freezing.

She opened her eyes and like the previous morning just lay in bed for a few more minutes. With a sigh she slid out of bed and took a bath. She was pretty sure that the rooms next to hers heard her shriek when the cold water hit her.

After drying she put on a pair of shorts and one of the baggy, white shirts. She put her shoes on and went out into the hall. After she locked her door she backed up and ran her eyes over her symbol. She loved it. Never had she thought that this is what they would have chosen. She ran her hand over the design, tracing it with her finger.

She heard a door open to her left and then a voice, "Yuna!"

Yuna turned to see Paine locking the door to her room, causing Yuna to furrow her brow, "Is Rikku still in . ."

"No, she went down ten minutes ago." Paine shook her head. "I don't know how she manages to stay so thin and eat so much."

Yuna started towards the silver haired warrior, "Did you need something?" she asked. Paine nodded and headed for the stairs.

"Right! Fayne knocked on my door about an hour ago. He had some orders for me. He wants me to start teaching you how to fight. Today." Paine said, narrowing her eyes at Yuna as they walked.

"Paine, I don't . ."

"I don't care." the warrior said sharply. "I apologize for being harsh, but it's the truth. You need to learn to fight."

"You don't understand, Paine."

"Yes I do. You were raised on an island that never went to war, that hated war because of what it can cause. I understand that, but now that you're here, you have no choice." they started down the stairs.

"I don't?" Yuna asked.

"No. If you don't learn to protect yourself, then not only will you be useless to us, but the Followers will cut you down quicker than you can blink." they exited the stairs and headed into the galley. The two went to a line and remained silent. Yuna saw Paine's eyes catch someone, but when she looked she couldn't see who. Paine turned to Yuna, "I need to go talk to someone."

"Okay. I'll be fine." Yuna said. Paine nodded and walked away. It was another five minutes before Yuna got her food and found Rikku. Well, found wasn't exactly right. More like _heard_ Rikku and followed the voice. Yuna arched an eyebrow when she reached the table.

"A little loud?" Rikku asked, slumping in her chair.

Yuna sat down "Just a little." Yuna said, taking notice of the many eyes watching her cousin. Yuna took a bite of her breakfast as Rikku started talking about another dream of hers. Yuna found that, while it wasn't as strange as the first, it still didn't make much sense.

"Rikku!" Paine's voice cut the blonde off. "When will you learn that we don't want to hear about your scary ass subconscious?" the warrior asked. She placed both palms flat on the wood and leaned on the table. Her eyes traveled from Yuna to Rikku. "I need to head up to the training floor." crimson caught green and blue, "Come there after you're finished. No exceptions." she caught Rikku's eyes. "And don't think I've forgotten about your lesson. I've already got something in mind for that." she smiled wryly and pushed off the table, she quickly walked through the growing crowd in the galley.

Yuna grimaced at the thought of training. She was about to take another bite of food when a sigh from her cousin made her look up, "Wow . . she is _so_ hot." Yuna dropped her fork, her mouth hung open and her eyes widened.

"Ri . . Rikku?" Yuna stumbled over the words. "Did y . . you just . . . say t . . . that she was . . . ?"

Rikku's face turned red, "Eh-heh . . oops." she said, her lips formed a nervous smile. "Yeah, I guess I did."

"Rikku," Yuna leaned forward, "is there something you want to tell me?" her cousin bit her lower lip, green eyes searched the ceiling. "The answer isn't up there."

Rikku sighed and her head drooped, "Yunie I . . please don't hate me for this . . but yeah, I did."

"Hate you?" Yuna asked, looking insulted. "What kind of person do you take me for?"

Rikku tilted her head up slightly, "So, you're not angry then?"

Yuna shook her head, a soft smile curved her lips, "Not even close." Rikku grinned, revealing perfect, white teeth. "So, does she . ."

"Does it look like she does?" Rikku asked. Yuna thought about it. Rikku sighed, "You said it yourself, in a way. Of course she doesn't. We barely get along."

"So, when did you realize that you liked her?" Yuna asked.

Rikku shrugged, "Not too long after I met her. That was when I was younger, I thought it was just a crush. A weird one." she said with a chuckle. She stabbed absentmindedly at her food, "But it turned out to be more. As time went, it grew. When we were partnered together, I was so happy!" she shook her head. "But she hasn't shown even the slightest sign that she might like me."

Yuna reached across the table and placed a hand on her cousin's, "The way she acts around you, I'm sure she does." Yuna said.

Rikku nodded, "Thanks for not being angry, Yunie." Rikku said with a sniff. "Just don't tell her, 'kay?"

Yuna nodded, "I won't."

*******

A sharp hit to the legs brought her down to her knees. She yelped, but made no other sounds. Yuna looked up at the warrior pacing around her. They had been at this for countless hours now. Yuna was hurting all over, she had refused to take a single swing at Paine. The silver-haired girl was going easy on her, that she could tell. Paine was holding back.

"Get up." Paine ordered. Yuna looked the warrior in the eyes and slowly tried to stand. She whimpered when she put weight on her leg. Her legs were hurting, her arms, chest, everywhere. "Get up." she repeated.

They were using padded staffs. Still, they could hurt. Especially since Yuna had never done this in her life. Combat was something that she abhorred. While Paine was holding back, she still wasn't being lax with Yuna. She had jumped right into fighting, to test the island girl's abilities. So far, she had found nothing remarkable.

_Then again, she is new to this. She's never fought anyone before, probably never lifted a weapon. Maybe getting her to act off instinct was a __bad idea_ Paine showed no emotion as Yuna stood back up. The brunette looked at her, dual-colored eyes piercing her like blades. Paine could tell it was difficult for her to stand. Paine had done very little to the girl, but Yuna wasn't used to any physical brutality of any kind.

"It's pointless." Yuna said, voice brimming with defiance.

"Then you'll die." Paine replied coolly. She picked up Yuna's staff and handed it to her. Yuna eyed the padded rod maliciously. "Take it." Paine ordered. Yuna's eyes flickered to the warrior. She gripped the staff and held it at her side, her eyes never leaving Paine's. Paine smiled internally, _She's stubborn, if only she'd redirect that conviction._

Paine twirled her staff once, twice, she gripped it with her other hand and whirled it around. It connected with Yuna's side, making her cry out again. She stumbled, but used the staff to stop from falling down. Paine gave her the coldest stare she could.

The warrior could see something in Yuna's eyes, something past the defiance. She saw pleading. _Please, please just stop. I can't do this, please don't make me . . ._

Paine shook her head, _I'm sorry Yuna, I don't want to do this._ She knocked the staff out from under the brunette. Yuna fell to one knee and Paine let the staff make contact, not as hard this time. Yuna was on all fours now.

"Yuna . ." Paine tried to keep an edge from her voice. "You need to do this. If you can't defend yourself then there's no real use for you."

"Well, then I guess I'm useless." Yuna said.

Paine growled, "Don't you want to get the Followers back for what they did to your home? You can, just stop being so stubborn!"

"How dare you." Yuna said, her form trembling. "Don't try and persuade me to do this. It was violence, fighting, that destroyed my home. Its fighting that is tearing up the mainland." Yuna shuddered. Tiny droplets of water hit the mat beneath them. "I will not learn to be a part of that!" Yuna said, her voice quickly turning to a sob. Paine paused.

She felt a desire to comfort the girl, to apologize. She wanted her to stop crying, to ask her to forgive her for what she'd said. She shook her head. She couldn't, _You can't. What she needs is to learn that sometimes violence is necessary_.

Footsteps drew her attention. She turned her head a fraction to see behind her. Rikku was walking into the training room. "Paine, do you . ." she stopped dead when she saw Yuna. She looked to Paine, spiral eyes alight with anger. "What the fuck?!" she ran to her cousin.

"Rikku, don't . ." Paine tried to stop her, but it was not use. The blonde was kneeling beside her cousin, trying to get her to stop crying.

"How is it progressing?" a voice asked. Paine and Rikku looked up. The anger in Rikku's eyes turned to fury.

"Damn you, _Savage_!" Rikku growled. Fayne saw Yuna and sighed.

"Paine." Fayne gestured for her. She dropped her staff and quickly walked over to him. He leaned closer to Paine and whispered, "I suppose she was more resilient than I assumed?"

Paine nodded, "Very. She won't even move out of the way of an attack."

"Hmm, well keep trying. In time she will see that it is necessary. Let her rest for now. She's had enough for one day." he sighed. "Don't let up on her though. I would suggest being a little more forceful, but not too much."

Paine nodded, "Truthfully, I think I've had enough for one day, too." she said. "I don't like just beating her up like this. She doesn't deserve it. But I must say, her resolve is incredible. I would've cracked long ago, beaten the shit out of my trainer, but she just stands there." she watched as Rikku slowly helped her cousin to her feet. "In a way, it's almost awe-inspiring."

"Yes, she is strong. But now she just needs to be _physically_ strong." Fayne said, nodding. "Well, I just needed to check in. I've got a few things that need to be taken care of." he said. With a nod he walked away. Paine could tell he was still thinking about Yuna. She couldn't blame him.

The warrior walked back to Yuna and Rikku, "You can go rest, now." Paine said. "But be back here tomorrow."

Rikku gaped at her partner, "You've gotta be . ."

"I'm not. Now go." Paine said wearily. Rikku scowled as she helped her cousin, not noticing anything in the silver-haired girl's voice. Yuna heard it, though. _It's almost like she doesn't agree with this._

The climb up the stairs was irritating, luckily it was only one flight. Rikku helped her cousin to her room, once Yuna was inside, she said that she could take care of the rest. It was already dark out, and Yuna just didn't feel hungry. Rikku had eaten dinner, though. Yuna took a bath, letting the hot water soothe her. She sat in the tub for a long while before she realized she was falling asleep.

After drying and changing she crawled into bed. She laid flat on her back underneath the covers. She was sore all over, and the bed only gave some comfort. She closed her eyes, but found that she couldn't go to sleep. Her mind drifted back to Paine, the way her voice had changed at the end. It wasn't really like she was tired. More like she was kind of sad.

Well, maybe sad was too strong a word. _There's something about this she disagrees with._ Yuna sighed and as she slowly grew closer and closer to sleep she saw an image form in her mind. An image of Paine, her eyes alight, her hair shining, her skin glistening, she was gracefully performing a strike with a sword. She looked beautiful. _Strange._ That was the last thing Yuna thought before going to sleep.

*******

Paine was sitting on the edge of her bed. Like Yuna, she didn't feel hungry. She had bathed and changed, but just didn't feel tired. Rikku walked out of the washroom and stopped beside her own bed. She frowned and turned to Paine. "Why did you go so hard on her?" she asked.

Paine sighed, "It was Fayne's idea, not mine."

Rikku frowned, "So then why did . ."

"Because I happen to agree with him. I need to be harsh, it's just that I don't think _beating_ her is the best way."

"Then just say so." Rikku argued.

Paine looked up at her partner, "It's not that easy. Fayne knows what he's doing. This is the first time he's let me train someone. His methods work, I know they do."

"Yeah?" Rikku scoffed. "Did they work on you?"

Paine tilted her head down and was silent for a moment, "Yes, they did." she said quietly. Rikku heard something in the warrior's voice.

"But, it was _harder_ for you, wasn't it?" the blonde asked, her voice soft.

Paine looked up, "You have no idea." she whispered. Her eyes reflected the training she'd had to go through. "Just thank Daceon that Yuna doesn't have to go through the same thing." she faced the floor again. Rikku bit her lower lip and quickly walked to her partner. She sat down beside her and hugged her. She was surprised when the warrior didn't force her off. Emboldened, she tightened the embrace.

"Are you gonna be alright?" she asked.

Paine chuckled, "Please, what do you think?"

"I think you're just a big softie after all." Rikku mumbled. She let go and went back to her bed. She quickly slid beneath the covers.

"I don't want to do this, Rikku." Paine said. "If it was up to me, I'd being taking this slowly so that I wouldn't have to be so . . so . . brutal." Paine said. "I just don't like the thought of hurting her like that." she sighed and laid down. The lights slowly dimmed until they were gone.

"See? You are just a softie." Rikku giggled.

As Paine drifted off, she saw a field of flowers. All soft shades of pink, and blue. Amidst the field was a girl in a white dress. Her brown hair danced in the breeze, a smile lit her face. Her dual-colored eyes shone. Creamy skin unblemished, unmarred by bruises that Paine had inflicted in reality.

_Yuna,_ Paine thought as she neared the edge of consciousness, _I'm sorry._

Author's Note: _Okay, the main story plot only shines through every so often, but it will fully reveal itself soon. Well, in a way. Until then, I hope you enjoy the story._

- Thank-you for reading.


	7. Chapter 6: Interests

Chapter 6: Interests

Never in her life had she dreamed of something like this. The warmth, the overflowing, intoxicating, suffocating presence. Contact that made her shiver, that scared her. She wasn't supposed to feel anything like this. So she struggled to pull herself out from her own dreams.

They wouldn't let her go.

She twisted and turned, lashed out, tried to free herself, but it wouldn't work. She just couldn't get out, but she wanted out. She wanted out because . . because she wanted to stay. But then other things flooded her mind. Rigorous, painful training. She had bled, she had suffered, been scarred. A dark, hazy fog consumed her. That pain returned. The fear, the strain.

She suddenly found herself awake. One of the first things she felt were the hands on her shoulders. Someone was shaking her, calling her name. The second thing she felt were tears. Streaming down her face. She had been crying in her sleep. _That_ was not natural.

For her anyway.

"Paine, Paine!" Rikku called out again. Slowly she opened her eyes. For a moment her vision was blurred. She reached up and wiped her eyes with a hand. Then she saw Rikku. The blonde looked scared to death. Her green eyes were wide open and bored into the warrior's crimson eyes. "Are you alright?"

Paine almost didn't hear her as parts of the nightmare flashed through her mind, "Yeah, it was just a . . just a nightmare." the warrior said, slowly sitting up. Rikku laid a caring hand on Paine's shoulder.

"Must have been some nightmare." Rikku said. Paine just nodded. "Paine?" her voice drew the warrior's attention. "Are you sure you're alright?"

Paine slowly shook her head, "Not entirely, but I'll survive." she said. The more she woke up the better she felt, although the dream still clung to her mind. "I'll be alright." she let a small smile curve her lips. "Thanks." she said.

Rikku looked genuinely shocked, "Wha . . huh?" yeah, shocked was the word. Her already wide eyes got wider, if that was possible.

"I said thanks, what's the matter?"

"It's just that you . . ah . . um . . eh-heh, never mind."

Paine arched an eyebrow, "Ooo-kay . . ?" Paine drawled, arching an eyebrow. Rikku, still looking shocked, stood and went into the washroom. _What the hell is eating blondie?_ Paine winced as another memory tried to break through her mental barriers.

She laid back down but didn't close her eyes. She didn't want to risk falling back to sleep . . back into that nightmare. She could hear Rikku splashing and singing in the washroom.

"Damn girl acts like she's three." Paine murmured. An ugly thought surfaced. "Oh yeah . . Yuna's training . . ." the warrior grimaced at the thought. Fayne had told her to go harder on Yuna, too. Not too much harder, thankfully, but he still wanted Paine to get Yuna to fight. He wanted Paine to break her resolve.

She realized something. _Why is Fayne so set on me getting Yuna to fight? All that stuff I'd said about her being useless, none of it was true, I was trying to get her to do react. There are plenty of people on the _Nek _who can't fight. What is he trying to do?_

She was still wondering this when Rikku came out of the washroom. Paine saw her and sat up, frowning. "Why are you naked?" she asked. Rikku stopped by her wardrobe.

"Eh-heh." Rikku slowly turned around. She had a towel wrapped around her, but that was it. She smiled, embarrassed, "Um, I forgot my clothes." she giggled. Paine rolled her eyes and laid back down. She heard Rikku's wardrobe open and close. When she heard the blonde's towel hit the floor she furrowed her brow. She sat up.

"Wha . . ?!" Paine's eyes widened. Rikku had dropped her towel and was now completely naked. Her initial exclamation had failed to grab the girl's attention. "Rikku, what the fuck are you doing?"

"Rikku stopped what she was doing and looked over at Paine. She still had no clothes on.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"Why are you dressing in here! More importantly why the fuck are you naked?!" Paine yelled.

"Well what's the matter, we're both girls!" Rikku argued, looking confused.

"That's beside the point." Paine growled.

"Ya' know, if you are so against me being naked right now then why are you still looking?" Rikku asked.

Paine arched an eyebrow, "I've been staring at your face the whole time. It's been quite painful."

Rikku started to pout, "Big meanie." she mumbled. As she got dressed Paine stood and went to her wardrobe. She picked out what she needed and started for the washroom. "Oh, Painey!" Rikku called cheerily.

Paine halted, "What did I say about that Fayth-damned nickname?" she growled.

"I dunno, but I just wanted to ask you something." there was an air of mischief to her voice. Paine turned around.

"What?" she asked. Rikku grinned. She linked her hands behind her back and started swaying. There was a strange glint in her spiral eyes.

"Did ya' like what you saw?" she asked. The minute it was out she fell to the floor, laughing. She was clutching her side and almost started rolling around. Paine just stood, dumbfounded. Almost comically, she turned slowly and walked into the washroom.

Rikku took a number of deep breaths and managed to stand. She looked at the washroom door, _Did you though, Paine? Do you?_ Her normally bright eyes reflecting a pained heart. She sighed and left the room.

*******

Like the previous morning, Yuna made it to breakfast after Rikku. This time, though, Paine hadn't shown up at all. Yuna looked depressed, at first glance.

"Yunie?" Rikku drew her cousin's attention. "You alright?"

Yuna sighed, "Yeah, I just don't want to go to another . . _training_ session." she shook her head. "But, don't let me drag you down. How are you today?" she asked, trying to smile.

Rikku smiled, "I think that . . that Paine might, _might_, actually like me."

Yuna tilted her head, "How do you . . ?"

"Well, last night I gave her a hug and she didn't force me off. And then this morning she was feeling bad about something and when I talked to her about it she just smiled and thanked me."

"How does . . ?"

"Because she almost never acts like that! To me anyway." Rikku said the last part with a sigh. "She acts like I carry some kind of disease! She doesn't like it when I touch her. Well, when anyone touches her, really. But it almost seems like she singles me out." Rikku cast her eyes to the table sadly.

"You know, maybe that says something." Yuna said.

"How?" Rikku asked, poking her breakfast with a fork.

"Well, Paine seems like she's afraid to feel. She recluses herself, and when she realized she might feel something for you, she tries to ignore you the most."

Rikku stared at her cousin, her mouth open, "That . ." she slowly started, " . . actually makes sense."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Yuna asked.

Rikku shrugged, "Nothing, it's just I'm surprised I understood that."

"You just set yourself up for a . ."

"Yeah, yeah, I know it." she took a bite of food. "Shut up and eat your breakfast." she said, making Yuna laugh.

"Don't talk with your mouth full."

"Ya' know, just . . don't talk. At all." she said, looking slightly annoyed. Yuna started giggling. Finally Rikku picked up her plate and started towards an empty table.

"Rikku!" Yuna looked shocked. "I was just kidding. Really!" she let out a sigh. _You were kidding, but still. She's picked on enough as it is. So why do you do it? _She watched as her cousin ate by herself. A strange, and somewhat frightening thought entered her mind. _Maybe there's a reason you want to put her down?_

_And what would that be?_

_Paine?_

*******

"Damn it, why are you such a pacifist?" Paine growled.

"Because I believe that violence is wrong! No matter what."

"And that means you can't even learn self defense?"

"Yes. If it means that I'll have the capacity to hurt, or even kill, then I reject it." this was followed by another yelp. The staff struck her across the back, throwing her forward. She managed to stop herself with one hand, the other arm had taken a bad hit earlier and she couldn't put any weight on it.

"Yuna, these people have the ability to kill hundreds. Thousands. We have the chance, and the capacity, to stop that." she lowered herself to kneel beside Yuna. "Mere hundreds of them, for thousands of others." she whispered. Yuna made no response. "You would leave them to hang, then?" Paine asked. Still the brunette made no response. "Leave them to die?"

Yuna's body began to shake softly. Paine stood up, "You would condemn them?" she said, her voice just above a whisper.

"_No!_" Yuna cried. Her yell turned to sobs. A lump formed in Paine's throat. The warrior could not speak, and she found that she was frozen in place.

_Yuna. _

Yuna squeezed her eyes shut, but the tears came. She couldn't stop from breaking down like this. The physical and verbal assaults left her beaten. Paine's accusations and attacks had silenced her, immobilized her.

_Is she right? Am I condemning these people by choosing not to help? No, how could I make any difference? I think what she's asking is, "Why won't you try and help them too?" Well, why won't you? Because I can't. I could never take a life._

_Even is it were to save another?_

Yuna's mind froze at the thought. She struggled to answer her own question, but the result just made the horrible feeling building in her even worse.

_I . . I don't know . . ._

Paine noticed that Yuna's sobs grew louder, and the girl began to shake. _You . . you did this! Help her, Fayth dammit! _She tried to. She almost dropped her staff. Almost knelt down beside the girl and consoled her. Almost made contact.

_I can't._

She already wasn't sure about the dream she had. It had been Yuna. But why? Why was she dreaming about the island princess? Why had she felt the way she did? She was afraid of those feelings, and what they would make her do. She wanted, no, had to shut them out.

Had to shut her out.

"Enough, get up." it pained her to say it, but she hid it. Slowly, Yuna stood. She was still shaking. Her face was red and wet, her eyes were red and the look in those dual-colored eyes. The emotion in them. Paine almost lost her composure. She was causing her so much pain.

_Well, that is my name._

"You need to forget everything that was engrained into your opinions on fighting. It is necessary in many cases. It will become very necessary very soon." Yuna just stared at her, pleading. "Yuna, if you don't do this . . Fayne himself will train you. There's a reason they call him Savage, you know." she said, her voice monotone.

"Well then, I guess I'll find out." Yuna breathed. Paine was gaping on the inside. Was she serious? No she couldn't be. The look in her eyes, they reflected fear, pain, sorrow.

_And how much of that did I cause?_

"You wouldn't want to. I can tell, you'd be scarred for life. Traumatized, probably."

"Didn't he train you?" Yuna asked.

Paine nodded, "He did."

"So, did you get lucky?" she asked, looking slightly skeptical.

"Yes, actually." Paine nodded, fighting to keep the visions from her nightmare from returning. "Out of the group of twenty that I was in, only five, including myself, got out pretty much unscathed."

Yuna's eyes widened, "And, the other fifteen?"

Paine opened her mouth to speak, but stopped herself, finally she said, "I'm just glad I wasn't one of the fifteen." she said. She sounded so serious. It made Yuna's skin crawl. Paine couldn't hold them all back. A few of the memories managed to break through her barrier. She shivered when the scenes from her training played out in her mind. She realized she was getting distracted and fought free of the memories. When she thought about how to attack next, she suddenly felt weary. She reluctantly let the staff fall from her hand. "We're finished." she sighed. "Go get some rest."

Yuna looked shocked. She slowly nodded and started for the door. It was difficult, her left leg was bruised and hurting. Paine noticed this and tried to help her. She was confused about why she was doing this. She generally tried to avoid contact with other people, but she just couldn't help herself. She reached an arm out to help and support Yuna. Yuna absentmindedly shrank away from Paine's touch.

Paine immediately moved away from the girl, noting the instinctual fear in her eyes. _By the Fayth!_ "I just want to help you, dammit." Paine sighed. Yuna reluctantly let the warrior help her. Paine almost shivered at the contact. She normally hated the touch of another person, but this was different. She almost liked it.

That was not good.

She helped Yuna up the stairs and to her door. As Yuna was going into her room, Paine shocked herself by saying, "I'm sorry Yuna." the brunette froze in the doorway, but didn't turn around. "That may be hard for you to believe, but it's true. I'm sorry."

_Daceon help me, I really am going soft . . fuck you, Rikku! I'll kill you for this!_

"Don't forgive me, you have no reason to. Just . . know that I don't enjoy what I'm doing." Paine said. Before Yuna could respond, Paine walked briskly to her room and went in. Rikku wasn't back from the galley yet, which suited Paine just fine. She leaned against the inside of the closed door and stared at the floor.

She had touched Yuna. She had apologized to her. She herself felt pained for hurting her. What the fuck was happening? Why were all these feelings building up inside her. What was it about this island girl that woke all these memories in her? All this blocked emotion? She was so confused. And the confusion was building in her, like a pressure in the back of her mind, slowly consuming her and her thoughts.

In a way, it was painful.

She shook her head and went to wash up. After bathing and changing she got into her bed. She tried to sort out all these muddled feelings and questions, but it was no use. She was a wreck. All these buried thoughts, memories and emotions were killing her. Slowly, and not painlessly.

She started to cry, and found that she couldn't stop until she fell asleep. Even then, her dreams were haunted by Yuna's dual-colored eyes, and the pleading, pained look in them.

Author's Notes: _Too emotional? I'm just trying to build something between the two. This emotion will have a lot to do with the main plot. As in many stories, certain emotions can be dangerous, and can be easily influenced in certain situations. That's exactly what's going to hinder the characters later. I'm posting another chapter of _Lost in Space_ today as well(AT LONG LAST!!)._

- Thank-you for reading.


	8. Chapter 7: Stunned & Silent

Chapter 7: Stunned & Silent

Paine woke up after a night haunted by her past. Locked away memories had flooded through, burning her mind. They had rushed through the floodgates opened by the island girl. Paine had relived moments, saw what had happened to some of the . . others. All of it was overshadowed by how pained Yuna had looked. How much she had hurt her. The guilt was building in her, weighing her down. She could feel it. It was going to throw her off balance, mess with her temper. She needed to get rid of some of the weight.

It was almost like an empathy link had been established between the two. Only it was Yuna's emotions that were flooding into Pain, and Yuna was getting none of the warrior's feelings. _At least that's good_.

She opened her eyes slowly. The world quickly came into focus around her, the sound of Rikku's light snoring made her furrow her brow. She sat up and looked around. The lights were very dim, meaning it was still very early. Still, Paine didn't feel tired. And she definitely did not feel like falling back into the nightmares. While the images still lingered in her mind, they would come to life, and be strengthened tenfold, in her sleep. Paine very quietly got out of the bed and went into the washroom. After drying and dressing she came back into the main room.

The lights had barely brightened, the change was unnoticeable. She quietly slipped on her boots and pocketed a key. As she headed for the door she heard a yawn and looked back over her shoulder. Rikku opened one eye and rubbed it sleepily.

_Either this was coincidence, or she's very alert. _Paine thought about it. _Coincidence_.

"Hey." Rikku said, voice heavy with sleep. "What're you doin' up? It's still early."

Paine sighed, "I just . . I couldn't sleep. I'm kinda stressed out right now and I need to get rid of some of it."

Rikku blinked, "Oh." she nodded and laid her head head back down. She smiled, "'Kay." her eyes closed and in moments her breathing had slowed. Paine let a small smile curve her lips. Rikku was cute, that she'd admit. A little too hyper most of the time. But a good person in general.

Paine left the room as quietly as she could and went down the hall and stairs to the gym. No one else was there, but the room was still bright. The gym was one of the few places on the _Nek_ where the lighting never changed. Paine walked through the wide chamber, eyes moving over the different dummies and weapons, all the different ways to train. She went over to a weapons rack. Above it was a case of wooden training swords. Iron had been poured inside the handles and blades while they were being made to add a realistic weight.

She let her fingers brush along the cool steel of a real sword. She gripped the handle and lifted it with ease. She ran her finger up the flat of the blade and then set it back down. Various halberds and iron staffs lined the walls next to long-swords and polearms. There was one wall that had four scythes hung on it. Those were for the trainees who felt they, like Fayne, could master the large weapon.

It rarely ended well.

Paine picked up an iron staff and swung it in a wide arc, twirling it with her fingers and then catching it again. She moved to one of the training dummies and held the staff parallel to her body. She spun it once and then brought it down onto the dummy's neck.

She whirled around, bringing the staff with her. It connected with the side of the dummy's head, then its side. She she spun again and hit the dummy hard in the chest with the length of the staff.

She continued this, more and more intricate attacks followed as each move would follow up the one before it. It became like a dance. The staff twirling in wide arcs, beside her and over her. She would spin around, fake from side to side. Always making each new attack deadlier than the last.

As she did this, she felt a cold wave wash through her, making her body tingle. It made her move faster, hit harder. She drew from it, not caring how much she spent. It felt like she was freezing, but it did not affect her movements. In fact, it still heightened them.

The cold wave was quickly becoming a frozen tsunami. It rushed through her veins, crawled across her skin. Flowed in and out of her heart, it chilled the air in her lungs, so that she breathed out mist.

Her frustration was slowly being spent, but the pressure from the guilt seemed to be building up even as it slowly ebbed. _Why won't it go away?_ Anger, frustration, it grew in her. Made her attacks more violent. She felt a single, massive, surge of cold. With a roar, she brought the staff down on the wooden dummy, it connected with a loud _crack!_

Then the anger, the frustration, was gone. The cold feeling inside her pulsed, it made her feel sick. Her vision clouded with white as it built up. She collapsed, breathing heavy. After some time the feeling passed. Her vision returned to normal. She tried to stand, to sit up, but her arms and legs felt like jelly. Pins and needles crawled up and down her body.

_Fuck,_ Paine closed her eyes, _If Fayne finds out . . he's going to kill me_.

*******

Yuna woke up sore, bruised, stiff, and still very tired. She had woken up constantly throughout the night. Every time she rolled over in her sleep she would hurt something. She would wake up irritated and take forever to go back to sleep. Yuna begged the Fayth to let her go back to sleep. She didn't feel like getting up at all. She couldn't go through another day of training with Paine . . .

She suddenly remembered what Paine had said the night before. The way she had sounded. How ashamed she had seemed. Almost like she was hurting too, but not physically. More like emotionally. The sorrow in her voice had had a stupefying effect on her. She had stood motionless while Paine walked away, too fast for Yuna to have said anything even if she could have.

She had said she was sorry, but she had also told Yuna not to forgive her. That meant that Paine felt guilty about hurting her, but that even she could not forgive herself. Yuna knew that Paine had been sincere. The emotion in her voice had been too strong to fake.

Yuna pushed herself up, so that she was propped up on the palms of her hands. It hurt even worse now, in the morning, but she ignored it. She whimpered as she stepped out of bed and put weight on her feet. She limped to the washroom and let herself soak in the hot water. It helped to soothe the pain, but only just.

More than ever she dreaded the freezing cascade.

*******

The first thing Rikku did when she woke up was yawn. She blinked a few times before sitting up and looking at Paine's bed. When she saw that her partner wasn't there she frowned, and then her eyes shot open. Still half asleep, her mind drew on one of her recurring dreams.

_Oh no! The evil dust bunnies got Paine! _The look of panic faded and she yawned again. _Oh well, they're in hell now._ She blinked again before it registered that she was awake. _Now I see why people make fun of me. Or, one more reason, anyway. At least I'm starting to see what Paine keeps talking about when she mentions my subconscious mind._

_Evil dust bunnies . ._

_What the fuck?_

She slid out of bed, and remembered when she had woken up earlier to see Paine leaving. She grabbed some clothes and headed for the washroom. After she had washed, dried and dressed she started for the galley. Yuna showed up a little later, looking very tired and very sullen.

"Yunie?" Rikku examined her cousin's face. She looked like she was zoned out.

Yuna's head jerked up at her cousin's voice, "Huh? Oh, sorry. I'm _really_ tired. Couldn't get much sleep."

"Hurting?"

"All over." Yuna sighed miserably.

"If ya' want, I can go give Paine a kick in the head!" Rikku said cheerily, a wide smile on her lips.

Yuna let a small smile touch at the corners of her mouth, "No, that's alright. I don't want her to hurt you." Yuna said.

"She wouldn't dare . ."

"Something tells me that she would."

Rikku frowned, "You're probably right."

Yuna tried to eat but found that she had just, over the past few days, lost any appetite. She dropped her fork and placed a single hand on her forehead. Rikku furrowed her brow, concern for her friend evident.

"Yunie, maybe you shouldn't . ."

Yuna shook her head, "No. I'm just gonna keep on going until they get the point. I don't care what it takes." _Fayne can come at me for all I care. I'll endure whatever Savage has to throw at me. I have to. I won't . . won't . . I just hope I don't die in the process._

*******

Hours had passed. They always did, slowly, painfully. Almost like time was savoring Yuna's beatings. Making her go through more than she should. A dark, malevolent force that she knew wasn't there. It was just how she saw it. How it felt.

It felt like hell.

She had to push herself up off the floor again. Whenever she took a blow, she no longer had the strength to break her fall. She just collapsed. Lighter hits would make her stumble, but it still took stronger attacks to knock her down. Still, her resolve was crumbling. Paine could tell. So could Yuna. But the island girl was not about to give up easily. She wouldn't, she couldn't.

Once standing, she locked eyes with Paine. The warrior's eyes were different now, a pained, sorrowful expression filled the crimson mirrors. While she tried to appear just as stoic as always, it was barely holding. For both girls, walls were crumbling. It was just a matter of time before one fell entirely.

The hurt in Yuna's eyes was unbearable for Paine, and she didn't know why. She didn't want to see that pain, that internal suffering that _she _had caused. She couldn't bring herself to look away, so she swung the staff low, hitting Yuna's legs, making her cry out and fall. The yell made Paine wince openly, Yuna didn't see it. The wince was followed up by a sharp intake of breath. She composed herself as best she could and knelt down near Yuna, who was holding herself up from the mat with an arm. Her face was turned to the floor.

More verbal attacks. Paine didn't stop. She wanted, needed, a reaction. _Come one Yuna, you'll be making this easier on yourself. _Paine said with her eyes, but with her lips only poison was evident. "Why? Why damn the world? Would you sentence the people of Spira to enslavement under the Followers?"

Yuna felt the guilt in her growing again, a definite response to Paine's words. "Never." was the whispered answer.

"Then fight them!" Paine said slowly, more pleading in her voice then the rage she'd been portraying. "Fight them, Yuna!"

The island girl shook, "I . . I can't . . I can't . . ." Yuna sobbed. _I can't hurt anyone, Paine. I can't. Please understand that!_

Paine frowned, she stood and took a deep breath, "Yuna, this is for the best, believe me. You could make a difference . ."

"Yeah right." Yuna said, voice choking as she cried. She tried to push herself up. She succeeded in pushing herself into a position where she knelt on the floor.

_Damn it, girl! _Paine kicked the staff on the floor, Yuna's, at the girl. She didn't kick it very hard, it hit Yuna's leg and stayed still on the floor next to her. _Damn it, Yuna, attack me!_ "Yuna, every person that joins us gives us more of a chance to hurt them, to drive them to the Farplane that they worship. To let the Fayth deal with them! Everyone makes a difference. If we don't stop them, no one will." Paine sighed. When she spoke again, the acid on her tongue was gone, "Please, Yuna, won't you help us?"

For a moment the girl just stayed motionless, silent, face downcast. Her fingers twitched. For a moment Paine was hopeful, "I . . I . . Paine . ." the way she sounded made Paine's hope collapse like a lead weight, "I can't." she whispered.

A heat rises in the warrior's chest. Why, why was this girl so damned stubborn! Why couldn't she just take the hint that this wasn't going to end because of her pleading and begging?

"Fuck!" Paine snarled. She threw her staff to the ground and glared down at Yuna. The brunette had looked up at Paine's curse, eyes wider, fear overshadowing her pain. "I can't believe that Fayne even thought of you as worthy of training! All you've done is waste our time! Crying and sniveling, you're weak. Pitiful!" somewhere inside, a voice told her, begged her to stop. Said that this wasn't right. But the growing anger and irritation masked and muted that voice.

"A pitiful excuse! Your island was slaughtered by these people, and you're just going to let them walk?! That's almost just as bad as letting them kill your people. You'll let them kill others, too, won't you? But you don't care. You won't. Just as long as the little _princess_ gets to stay clean and safe while hundreds of others go out and try to save Spira from the Followers. You just wanna sit, cozy and warm, while we die." Paine spat. "Us and the innocent."

Yuna felt herself growing angry. She'd felt anger before, but it was rare, weak, and dissipated quickly. This anger scared her. It was like some evil monster crawling its way up and into Yuna's mind. The beast became stronger with every hurtful thing Paine said. Yuna tried to fight it off, tried to retain control. But the monster consumed her.

"Pathetic, spoiled little coward." Paine growled. The warrior turned around, as if she couldn't stand the sight of Yuna, when really she just didn't want to see how much she was hurting the girl. The next thing she said was unexpected, unplanned, and shocked her, "I'll bet that if your parents could see they'd blame you for what happened, and for all the deaths yet to come, that you could have at least _tried_ to prevent."

Yuna looked up at Paine, a hurting rage had filled her two-toned eyes. A strange glint showed, it spread, becoming an alien shimmer. Yuna reached down, her hand tightened around her staff until her knuckles were white. She was as blind to what she planned to do next as Paine was.

Paine felt the anger receding after the last insult. She started to turn, to apologize. Yuna saw she was turning and, with a scream, vented her pent up hate with one, single strike. The tip of the staff hit the back of the warrior's head, with less force than the full blow would have dealt. Still, it stunned Paine. Her eyes widened and she stopped cold, wavering. Yuna swung again, this time the length of the staff met with Paine's stomach, knocking her down.

Yuna stood, breathing heavily, staff in hand. She felt tears flowing from her and took a deep breath. She looked down at the warrior sprawled on the floor. Paine's eyes were wide and staring into space. Yuna felt guilt and fear rush through her veins. She dropped the staff with a hoarse gasp and took a shaky step back. Her hands went to her mouth and she started sobbing.

_Great Fayth, what did I do?! _

"Paine?" Yuna whispered, her voice was weak, her throat felt dry. She took a cautious step forward and then fell to her knees. She crawled to where the warrior was laying and gently laid a hand on Paine's forehead. She choked as more tears came. Paine's breathing was normal, but she hadn't moved yet.

She moved closer to Paine and gently cradled the silver-haired girl's head, her right hand slowly stroked the girl's hair. Yuna closed her eyes and wept, feeling the guilt grab at her heart.

Paine blinked, unbeknownst to Yuna. She could hear the girl, see her, _feel_ her. The island girl's gentle touch warmed her. She found herself welcoming the caring contact. She could feel Yuna slowly stroking her hair and almost sighed. To her this felt . . right. Natural. Paine let small smile crease her lips.

It quickly faded

Paine reached up with an unsure hand and let her fingers brush against Yuna's face. Yuna gasped at the touch, her eyes shot open. Paine blinked and let her hand fall back to the floor. A number a warm tears fell onto Paine's face, but she didn't care. There was something else on her mind.

"Yuna." Paine breathed. "I'm so sorry." she said, shaking her head. "I never should have said that. It was uncalled for. Cruel." she was sure her eyes were watering up. "I never should have said it. I'm sorry." then a look of anger came into Paine's crimson eyes. Not irritation, true rage, "_Fayne_." Paine growled. "I'm gonna fuck him up." she said, words laced with fury. "I'm calling it off, Yuna. I can't do this anymore. I can't take it. I can't hurt you like this."

Yuna remembered what Paine had said the night before. She had told her not to forgive her, but after seeing just how much Paine hated doing what she had to do. How it hurt her too. "Paine." Yuna whispered. The two locked eyes. "I . . I forgive you." she said. A weak, shaky smile formed on her lips. Paine stared at her in disbelief. Yuna wrapped her arms around Paine's neck and lowered herself so that she was now hugging the warrior, the side of her face against Paine's, "I forgive you." she whispered.

Author's Notes: _Is it just me, or does my writing seem to be going downhill? I'll try harder to keep putting out "quality" writing. If I can. My writing always seems to slip a little the more I write. I really hope that doesn't happen with this story. Oh well, I hope you enjoyed it._

- Thank-you for reading.


	9. Chapter 8: Could It?

Chapter 8: Could It?

Paine was shocked by Yuna's forgiveness. She silently stammered, trying to protest. But once Yuna wrapped her arms around Paine, the warrior was muted. Even if she could speak, she doubted she'd be heard over the cacophony of her own thundering heart, which she was sure Yuna could hear. The sensation she felt when Yuna's warm cheek touched her cooler skin was . . strange, alien, even frightening.

But at the same time it made her skin tingle. It filled her with a comfort and peace she had not known in a long time. And for the first time in days . . the memories were silenced. The heartless nightmares no longer beat her down. They were harmless.

All at the island girl's touch.

_H . . How? _

Paine felt compelled to hug Yuna back, but the part of her that was frightened by the contact held her back. Paine silently damned that part of herself, but still couldn't fight it. It had become so ingrained in her, gotten so much ground, that she was helpless to fight it.

Yuna, on the other hand, had to concentrate not to shiver. She too felt the same tingling sensation when her skin touched Paine's. It unnerved her, confused her. Still, Yuna held onto the warrior. Yuna realized that while she was hurting physically, Paine was going through something that had deeper roots. She had seen it in the warrior's eyes.

When Paine had finally apologized where Yuna could see her face, she saw the walls of Paine's mind crumble. Her crimson eyes had become gateways to her soul. Paine was fighting something. Something she couldn't shake. And no matter what the warrior had done to her, no matter how reclusive she was, Yuna was going to help her.

She had to.

"Paine?" Yuna asked quietly. She backed away a little, for some reason feeling slightly reluctant to break contact.

The warrior still looked shocked, but not as much. A little more peaceful, actually, but barely, "Yeah?" she breathed.

"I don't want you to think I'm prying. But . . I can tell there's something wrong. You're fighting something. I want to help you, Paine. I've only known you for a few days but . . I already think of you as a friend."

"Wha . ." Paine looked up at Yuna, confusion apparent. "Even . . even after . . ?"

Yuna smiled sweetly, "Yes." she cupped Paine's cheek with a hand. "I want to help you. I want to help you in your battle. I want you to find peace. Please, Paine, let me help you." Yuna pleaded, voice soft, caring.

She found it hard to say no. Which was what she wanted. She knew that Yuna was reaching out to her. The brunette wanted to help her, she cared about people in way that Paine couldn't fathom. In a way that she didn't want to. But she was compelled to say yes. She was torn, the older, more rooted and more powerful side of her was calmly saying that she shouldn't, while another side of her was screaming at her to accept the girl's help.

In the past, no matter how loud that other side screamed, the calm voice saying no was always louder. It would reassure her, that everything would be fine if she just kept to herself, blocked everyone else out.

But this time . . this time the screaming voice grew a little louder. While it was not as specific as the calmer voice, it hinted at something, but Paine couldn't tell what exactly. All she knew was that it promised something wonderful.

"Okay . ." came the weak response. Paine was slightly appalled at the show of vulnerability. But she quickly forgot about that. Yuna had her answer, so how was she going to play her hand? Or did she even expect Paine to agree?

Yuna's face lit up with a warm smile, her eyes regained their old shine, "Thank-you." she said softly.

Now Paine was confused, "Thank-you? But . . what did . ."

"Paine . . I _want_ to help you. I can't stand seeing that look in your eyes. That look of suffering. I want to make it where I don't see it so often. Or at all, if possible."

Paine felt a sudden elation, her hope swelled, _Could it . . could she . . is it possible? _Doubt flooded over the hope, dousing the sparks threatening to burst into flame. _No . . NO! _

Paine growled mentally at herself. She didn't want to go back to the nightmares. If Yuna thought she had a way . . then Paine would gladly take it. Even knowing that it might fail.

Paine slowly sat up, Yuna's hand left her cheek and rested on her arm. Paine almost smiled at that. It reassured her, gave her a sense of comfort. Helped to make her feel like she wasn't . . alone . . anymore. Then something hit her. She realized that when Yuna had attacked her, the staff striking the back of her head hadn't been that hard a blow. It shouldn't have brought her down. But she remembered something. When the staff touched her, a sudden spark of magic hit her. It had traveled through the staff. Yuna had used magic! Paine pushed the thought to the back of her mind, not caring. She had something more important to focus on.

"Paine." Yuna's soft voice made her blink. Paine realized she had zoned out. She looked slowly up at the brunette, fearful of her gaze. Thankfully it was still kind and warm. "Paine, if this is going to work, you'll need to open up." a flood of uncertainty made Paine tense up. Yuna shook her head, noticing, "Not all at once. Slowly, over time."

Paine sighed and nodded, "Good." she murmured.

"Paine, tell me what's been bothering you. I can tell that it's something particular. It's almost always the same look every time. What is it?" she asked. Paine felt the old her try to claw its way out again. She pushed it back down and swallowed. Still, she found it difficult to find the words. "Paine, you're going to have to trust me. It's alright." she felt Yuna's hand slowly start to rub her arm, a soft form of encouragement.

Paine nodded, but when she opened her mouth to speak she paused and looked around, "Um, why don't we go back to m . ." she had been about to suggest her own room, but decided against it, should Rikku get tired or something. "Why don't we go to your room. I don't feel comfortable talking . . here."

Yuna looked around quickly and nodded, realizing what she was saying. Yuna tried to stand, forgetting the condition Paine's "training" had left her in. She pushed off the floor with a foot and whimpered when the muscles in her leg started to throb. Paine helped her up and they slowly went back up to Yuna's room.

Paine had to almost carry Yuna back to her room, but she didn't really mind. She was still trying to make sense of these sudden . . feelings she had towards the island princess. Over the span of a few days, Yuna had reduced Paine from a stoic, powerful, figure to a crumbling wall. Her normal calm and composure gone, replaced by fear, uncertainty, and something else. Something elusive, and near frightening. For Paine, anyway.

They made it to Yuna's room and didn't say anything until they were inside and sitting. Yuna was sitting stretched out on the bed, back against the wall. Paine sat on the edge of the bed, her back to Yuna.

"Paine." she felt a hand on her shoulder and flinched at the touch. "Paine, look at me." slowly, Paine turned to face Yuna. Yuna studied Paine for a moment, then smiled, "You know, you have beautiful eyes." Yuna said. The brunette wondered why she had said that. It was true, but . . she still wasn't sure why she said it.

Paine stared at her, confused, "Oh, uh, thanks." she stammered nervously.

Yuna nodded, "Well, what were you going to tell me downstairs?"

Paine sighed, she didn't like sharing her past with anyone, and she was sure that she still wouldn't. But with Yuna . . it was like some force was driving her to tell this girl everything.

Well, maybe not _every_thing.

"Well, I'm not sure exactly what it is." Paine said slowly, quietly. The room was silent and seemed almost menacing in a way. "But, I do know that . . much of it is just memory. Scenes from my life . . before. Mostly from Fayne training us."

Yuna nodded, "You've mentioned that before. You made it sound almost . . horrific."

"It was." Paine shuddered. "What he made us go through . . He wanted to make better warriors. Stronger, less qualms about killing, or slaughtering, really. He made us train in situations that made some of us faint out of fear. He would pit us against powerful fiends that we'd never faced and let us fight them . . _alone_. One-on-one with a powerful fiend is difficult. Beyond difficult, at that age."

Yuna's gaze hardened, "Why? I'm sure he knew you could . ."

"He didn't care if a lot of us died. All he wanted was the fittest, the best. And he drove some of the others to insanity to weed them out." Paine shivered, goose bumps crawled across her skin. Yuna noticed and, edging sideways, gently hugged Paine. The warrior froze up for a moment, then relaxed into the warm, reassuring contact. "I remembered some exercises where trainees in our group just dropped to the ground, lost in panic. And one time . ." she stopped, her eyes drifted up, looking nowhere. Yuna found the look unsettling. It was one of horror and fright.

"Paine? What happened?" Yuna asked, voice trembling a little.

Paine blinked and her gaze drifted to Yuna, a single tear rolled down her cheek, "We were in an exercise, Fayne had lured us to a cave and sealed the entrance. There were some torches, so we had a a little light but . . it wasn't enough. We stayed together, sure that if we just waited as a group we'd be safe, my squad and I. We thought we stood a better chance in a group." her voice caught in her throat. "One of them was my friend. He and I always . . we were nearly inseparable. That _bastard_!" Paine snarled. "He let something loose in the cave. We didn't see it, hear it . . it was almost as if it was invisible to us. My friend was sitting right beside me. He . . we . . I . . never saw it coming. No one expected it . . ." tears were running down her face now.

Yuna hugged Paine tighter and whispered quietly, "You don't have to . ."

"No. I . . I've come this far. I can't stop now." she took a deep, shaky breath and continued. "We were sitting in a circle. We had taken some of the torches and laid them in the middle, so we had a big fire. One second, he was right next to me, laughing at some joke another guy in my squad had said. The next . . he was gone and . . and . . I was hit by a spray of something warm. I was _soaked_ in his blood! I jumped up, turned around. A large, snake-like fiend had grabbed him . . bitten him in half. It was chewing on his upper body, just watching us. His lower half was on the cave floor, blood was . . . everywhere . . . . We just barely managed to kill it. All of us were injured. When we came out, and when Fayne learned that my friend had died, all he said was, "Such a pity, he seemed promising."" Paine was crying now, sobbing. It scared Yuna, Paine did not seem like the kind of person to cry, but yet here she was.

At the same time, Yuna found it a little hard to believe that Fayne could be so . . _malicious_. He did seem strict, powerful, maybe even ruthless. But that kind of uncaring attitude . .

"I'm so sorry." Yuna said. Paine was leaning against her now. Her head on the brunette's shoulder. Hot tears on Yuna's skin. She slowly moved her right hand to Paine's back. She felt the warrior's muscles tense, but then relax. She slowly rubbed Paine's back, just letting her cry. Yuna just prayed that she was right for doing this, for trying to help Paine. Like this, anyway.

Paine felt much of her held back grief and sorrow, so many of her pent up fears, melt away and flow out of her as tears. It was like a great weight was being lifted off of her. Yuna's embrace seemed to make all her agony fade away. Something clicked in Paine's mind. That thing that had been bugging her, confusing her. It started to become clearer.

It was like a fog had been lifted, and at the same time it was like being hit by a speeding chocobo. _How could I have been so stupid? So fucking blind?!_ Paine realized what all the feelings were. What sensations meant. What all the confusing emotions signified.

She felt like and idiot.

_Could it . . Could I . . be in love with . . with Yuna?_

The reply came quickly. That voice deep inside her, the once weaker voice, no longer screaming, but just as powerful and enthusiastic as ever, cursed her for asking. But it gave her the answer.

_Yes . . you _are_._

Paine felt drained, the tears had stopped, but she didn't move. Instead, she fell asleep. More comfortable than she'd ever felt in her life.

Yuna was surprised when Paine fell asleep. Head still on her shoulder, Yuna still hugging her. But, Yuna realized that outbursts of emotion like that could be draining. It was a good sign. At least, it was most of the time. Yuna just smiled. She was surprised that she didn't mind holding Paine like this. In fact, she kind of enjoyed it.

That was confusing to her.

But, she shrugged it off. She slowly laid back down, arms still around Paine. She closed her eyes and found herself smiling. Slowly, gently, she fell asleep.

Author's Notes: _I know that this is a little short, I'm sorry, I'll make up for it in the next two chapters. _Especially_ chapter 10. Damn, I doubted I could write a story with this much fucking emotion in it. It's messing with _my _head! Also, I know Paine is OOC, don't worry, she'll go back to a similar personality. Oh well, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. And thanks for the reviews, _Aceina_, they really help to motivate me._

- Thank-you for reading.


	10. Chapter 9: The Price

Chapter 9: The Price(Of Peace)

An unparalleled comfort. The only comparison could be what she imagined an unborn child felt like in the comfort of its mother's womb. Only this . . was different. It brought a different kind of warmth. A new kind of comfort. It brought peace to any inner turmoil.

Yuna's eyes opened slowly. The lights in the room were very low, making the room dark. She felt someone lying next to her. And for a moment was afraid. But, slowly, the events of the previous day played out in her mind. Yuna looked down at the warrior in her arms. She recalled, with a little embarrassment, that first morning on the small ship. How she had woken up snuggled up to Paine.

Well, this was different.

She was still gently hugging Paine, and this time Paine was the one curled up to her. One of Yuna's hands was resting behind Paine's hand. She noticed that she had absentmindedly begun to gently run her finger's through the girl's silver hair.

Yuna stopped herself and studied Paine's face, wondering what she was dreaming, if anything. In the dim light it was hard to tell, but she could almost swear that she saw slight movements behind the warrior's closed eyes, indicating dreams.

The warrior looked so peaceful. Then again, most people did while sleeping. But she just looked so relaxed, so peaceful, Yuna was just amazed at how beautiful the warrior really was. What also surprised her, now that she thought about it, was that just a few days ago Paine had been stoic and quiet. Reclusive, hiding her feelings. And it only took a few days for that to crumble.

Of course, Yuna realized that near the end she was partly to blame. The brunette let out a quiet sigh and felt Paine stir. She loosened her hold on the girl as Paine slowly woke up.

Paine's crimson eyes seemed to glow in the dark, almost. Yuna thought she was just imagining it. But Yuna realized that the warrior's eyes _did_ seem to glow faintly. Paine, for a moment, looked ahead blankly before her eyes slowly traveled up to Yuna. She flinched when she caught the island girl's eyes. Yuna could almost see the gears in her head turning.

"Morning." Yuna greeted softly, feeling it was appropriate to speak quietly this early in the morning. Paine looked slowly around the room.

"If you can call it that." she whispered. Her eyes went back to Yuna and then down at herself, noting just how close they really were. Her mouth opened but nothing came out. It wasn't a look of confusion or shock. It was more like she was trying to think of something to say or do.

"Feeling better?" Yuna asked.

Paine looked back up at her and was quiet for a few moments longer. Her eyes darted from side to side, like she was thinking. They settled back on Yuna's dual-colored eyes. Paine nodded slowly.

"Yeah. Thanks." she said quietly. Yuna detected a hint of nervousness in the girl's voice. Paine sighed, "I, uh . . I think I need to get back to my own room." she said. "Otherwise Rikku won't stop asking me questions if she wakes up later and I'm not there." she smiled softly.

Paine didn't move immediately, instead, it almost seemed like she was stalling. She just stared at the wall for a few seconds and then looked back up at Yuna. Yuna saw the faintest hint of a smile on Paine's lips. But before she could be sure, Paine slowly moved off the bed.

She started for the door but stopped halfway, "Yuna," Paine turned around the face the brunette, "I was serious yesterday. I said that I wasn't going to . . _train_ you," she said with obvious distaste in her voice, "anymore, and I meant it. I'll go and tell Fayne later, since he was the one who gave me the order." Yuna nodded as she said this. Paine turned and went to the door, before she opened it she turned back around, "Again, thank-you, Yuna."

The silver-haired girl opened the door and left. Once the door was closed, Yuna felt a pang of sadness. She didn't know where it came from, only that she felt . . alone.

She wrapped the covers on the bed around her and closed her eyes, trying to ignore the feeling. But it didn't go away until she fell asleep again.

*******

For Paine, waking up in Yuna's bed had been . . disorienting. And at the same time, she had never felt so at peace as when she had been in the island girl's arms. When Yuna asked her if she was feeling better, she actually had to think about it. She realized, though, that she was. She felt more open, more at peace. So much of the inner turmoil was gone. Most stemming from confusion, her memories, and her actions. But now, much of the pain brought by those three had been remedied.

Paine stopped in front of her door. She remembered what had happened the previous morning. How no matter how quiet she had been, Rikku still woke up.

Then again, she had been sure it was just a coincidence.

She slowly opened the door and slipped into the dark room, trying to let in as little light as possible. She quietly closed it and went to her bed. She removed her boots but didn't bother changing. She just laid down and closed her eyes.

For a while she couldn't sleep. She listened to Rikku's light snoring while she thought. She tired to think about what she would say to Fayne. Savage was the only person she truly feared. He was an enigma. It was difficult to tell how he would react to certain things.

He might just accept it and move on. But he could also be furious. She had seen him enraged before. She never wanted to be the one on the receiving end of his wrath. Then again, and for some reason she feared this more, he could react with a subtle anger. That seemed to be the most dangerous, because when he was like that you truly had no idea what he was thinking.

Paine's mind drifted back to Yuna. The girl had affected her in a way that no one else ever had. Well, almost no one. She was the only person who helped her give strength to the other voice inside her. The one that was trying to help her. It had promised her something, and it hadn't taken long for her to figure out, through all the hints, what it was.

_Love,_ Paine thought, smiling, _it promised love._

She almost laughed. As if Fayne would accept that as a viable reason! He'd probably just shake his head and not care. He'd also bring to mind Yuna's feelings. Like, did she love Paine?

That made the warrior pause in her thoughts. She had yet to take that into consideration. She frowned and let out a short sigh.

_How could I be so stupid?! I might be feeling all of this for nothing! I'll just have to go on lonely, loving but unloved. How depressing . . how fucking ironic! And I can't just go up and ask her. Fuck, that would top every stupid thing I've done so far!_

Paine turned onto her side and slid a hand under her pillow. Her fingers rested on the hilt of a dagger. It was more for comfort than protection. It was her favorite blade. Perfectly balanced, sturdy, and something else. She slid it out from under the pillow and unsheathed it. She could see in the dark better than most. The blade was covered with ornate designs. On one side of the blade a flower had been carved into the metal. At the base of the blade, where the hilt ended, someone had carved "Fehdan Vmufan".

_Winter Flower_.

Paine smiled and sheathed the blade. From somewhere inside her, a calm voice said, _Well, if it doesn't work out, you always have that dagger as a backup option. _

_No! I'm never going to . ._

_Oh? Are you're sure of that?_

_Yes._

_Good, at least _you're _convinced._

Paine slid the dagger back under her pillow and turned to face the wall. She closed her eyes and tried to sleep. She imagined that Yuna loved her too. That the girl could help her. That she could be happy . . .

The thoughts continued as she fell asleep. They turned into dreams, replacing all previous nightmares.

*******

When Yuna woke up, all she saw was black. That confused her. She shifted and realized that she had cocooned herself in her blankets. She freed herself and sat up. She had had a restless night. She kept tossing and turning. And her dreams . . she was lost in a frozen wilderness . . .

All alone.

She shivered and looked around at the now lit room. She slid off the bed and went to the washroom. Her body was still sore from all the training, but she tried as hard as possible to ignore it.

At least she wouldn't have to endure that anymore.

Well, unless Fayne took over the task himself. That made Yuna freeze in place. The hot water was unable to block the chill that swept over her. Fayne . . whatever Paine had done would seem welcome compared to what Savage could do to her.

*******

Rikku jerked up into a sitting position. Her eyes were wide and staring into space. When she saw that she was in reality she sighed and fell back onto the bed. She screwed her eyes shut and groaned.

_Oh . . no more fucking alcohol before bed. _

She opened her eyes and looked around. They fell on Paine and she frowned. She remembered coming back to the room the night before and Paine not being there. So when did . . .

She shook her head and got out of bed.

She learned long ago that you needn't question Paine. The simple reason: You wouldn't get an answer. And far be it from Rikku to actually try and _understand_ the reclusive warrior. How could she when she had no idea how the silver-haired girl thought?

Still, maybe it was that mysterious side, along with her natural beauty, that first attracted her to Paine. After getting to know her some, Rikku realized that Paine could have her softer moments, when she actually seemed like a normal person.

For a long time, Rikku thought that there was no chance Paine harbored any feelings for her. At first, it hurt her like she had never imagined. But, slowly, she grew to accept it. Just as long as she could be friends with her, be _near_ her. That would be enough. There was no point in trying to force herself on the warrior. It would be the equivalent to fighting a lost battle.

But she still flirted with Paine every so often, with a small sliver of hope that she'd warrant a response. So far it was . . less than successful. Still, she was beyond the depression now, and showed no signs of going back to it. She didn't want to.

But lately . . something had happened. Paine had started acting differently. She normally didn't make fun of Rikku so often, but whenever she did it was normally less of a joke and more like an insult. But now, she was doing it more frequently, and they were lighter than they used to be. Almost playful. She seemed to have opened up a little.

Of course, at first Rikku thought she was still just making fun of her, still taking only enough interest in her to degrade, only more often now. She had started to feel a slight pang of depression again. That frightened her. Of course, she didn't show it. She just tried to cover it up by acting happier and more carefree than usual. As course that only succeeded in making matters _worse_.

To make things just little harder for her, it seemed as if Yuna, her own cousin, couldn't resist making fun of her to. Albeit only a little . . but still! She had almost given in. She had come to the point where she was about to give up and let darkness swallow her.

But then she told Yuna how she felt about Paine. She still wasn't sure why she had, but she did so that was fucking that. But she was so glad now that she did. Yuna had told her something, trying to make sense of the situation _and_ make her cousin feel better. It had given Rikku hope. More hope than she'd had in a long while!

But lately, Paine had seemed kind of depressed herself. She had never really seemed like that before, just quiet and very, _very_, antisocial. Rikku wanted to help her, but she had no idea how!

She just hoped that Paine could work it out herself. Or that she'd go to someone who could. Of course Rikku wouldn't be included in that . . very short list. According to Yuna, Paine was probably trying to stay away from her because she was, in a sense, afraid of feeling for someone else. That, and Rikku was fairly certain that Paine wouldn't go to her for something like that. Paine just thought that Rikku was a dumb blonde.

Rikku quietly went to the washroom. She bathed, dried and dressed before coming out. Her hair was still damp when she came out. The air in the room always felt so much cooler after being in the hot tub. Paine was in bed, laying on her side, still asleep. Strange. Rikku went over to Paine's bed and sat down on the edge.

She tentatively reached out and, placing her hand on Paine's shoulder, gently shook her. Paine's eyes snapped open. They went from the bed to Rikku. She furrowed her brow and Rikku saw her crimson eyes move up and down her body. Paine's look of confusion passed and she propped herself up on one arm.

"Wow, it must be late if you're already up . . and dressed." Paine said.

Rikku let a soft smile turn her lips, "Not really, you're just used to getting up while everyone on the ship is still dead."

"Hmm." Paine sat up and let out a sigh.

Rikku nodded, a frown replaced the smile, "Yuna's training." she said quietly. Paine looked her in the eye for a moment before shaking her head.

"No. I . . I can't do that anymore. I told her myself yesterday. I'm just worried about how to explain it to Fayne.

Rikku made an O with her mouth, "You think he's gonna be pissed?"

"I have no idea."

"I know what you mean." Rikku murmured.

Paine shook her head, "You really don't." she whispered.

Rikku didn't hear her, "Well, I guess I'll go get some breakfast." she stood and walked slowly to the door. She made sure she had her key and took one last look back before leaving. Paine was still sitting on the bed, staring at the covers. Rikku closed the door and headed for the stairs.

*******

After washing up and dressing, Paine went down to the galley for the first time in days. She hadn't noticed the lack of food. One of Fayne's . . many . . lessons, was to teach the groups how to go without food for a certain amount of time. They had been starved. Weeks with the occasional scraps and little water soon became weeks without any food.

Paine didn't know exactly how long she could go, she never had to really test it. But the few days she had been training Yuna hadn't affected her at all, it seemed.

She got her food and was about to sit at a random, empty, table when she heard someone call her name. Startled, she looked around and saw Yuna and Rikku waving her over.

"I'm taking Yunie up to the top of the ship today." Rikku said as Paine joined them.

Paine looked at their plates as she sat down, "How long have you two been . ."

"Well, since I don't have to worry about training anymore, I figured I'd try and eat something." Yuna said, smiling.

"Yeah! Ya' big meanie, ya' nearly starved Yunie!" Rikku snapped accusingly.

"Hey, I didn't mean to . ."

"Paine." Yuna's voice drew her attention. "Rikku, I've already forgiven Paine."

Rikku sighed, "I know. But I still don't know why it took her this long to finally call an end to it."

"It may not be. Depending on how Fayne feels about the situation." Paine said. She took a bite of food. "He may force Yuna into one of his own training regiments." Paine stabbed a piece of food and stared at it for a moment. She dropped the fork and looked up at the brunette. "There's just something I don't understand. Yuna, when I told you that if you couldn't fight you'd be worthless, it . ."

"Huh?" Rikku raised both eyebrows at Paine. "So, you're sayin' that for the first five years I was worthless?"

Paine rolled her eyes, "It wasn't true."

"That's what I thought." Rikku grumbled before taking another bite of her breakfast.

Paine ignored the younger girl, "There are plenty of people on the _Nek_ who don't fight. So I don't even see why Fayne should have a problem with this. Or why he was so adamant about me training you."

"Huh?" Yuna asked. Now she was confused.

"When Fayne first ordered me to train you, I objected. I said it was too early for any training. Especially the kind he wanted me to do. But he didn't care. He said that it had to be _now_. I still don't know why. He never offered any explanations. All he did was tell me that I had to. Then when he saw that you were resisting, he told me to make it harder on you. The more I think about it, the more I think he wanted a reaction. A _specific_ reaction. I still don't know what it is, though."

Rikku scratched the back of her head, "Curious." Yuna and Paine both looked at her. "What?"

"Nothing." Paine said. "It's just that that didn't seem right coming from you." Rikku glowered at the warrior.

"Paine!" Yuna sighed.

"Thanks,Yunie." Rikku said, a grateful smile on her lips.

"I don't think it didn't seem _right_, I think it seems _wrong_." Yuna said, looking at her plate nonchalantly. Rikku was staring at her, looking a little hurt. Her eyes sank back down to the table.

Paine finished her breakfast and stood, "I'm gonna go talk to Fayne. I'm dreading it, but it has to be done. Hopefully he'll see reason from the get-go, but if not." she let out an exasperated sigh. "Well, then I'm in for a rough ride." she took a few steps and paused. "Hell, I'll be lucky if he doesn't _kill_ me."

*******

Word had come in not too long ago that the Followers my be planning to mount an attack on Kilika Port. The simple reason: To make a fucking statement. Fayne had already calmed down the top brass and told them that they were merely rumors. They would try and see if there was any proof before mounting a full-scale attack. For now five ships were ready to set sail with plenty of soldiers just to satisfy the other heads of the Leaders. Of course, Fayne knew that if there was an attack they would send more than five boats.

Paine walked into the room to find Cid in an argument with one of Fayne's underlings. The head of operations was just standing in the back, every so often he'd shake his head. He preferred to only get involved in certain situations.

Fayne immediately noticed Paine and walked over to her while she watched another Al Bhed get into the argument on Cid's side. Politics on the _Nek_ were very segregated. Only Fayne transcended those politics. The _Nek_ may have belonged to Cid, but Fayne commanded total power. Which was, strangely, one of the reasons he chose to stand in the sidelines most of the time.

"Paine." Fayne nodded a greeting when he was close enough to be heard over the rising din of shouts.

Paine returned the nod, "What's that about?" she asked, gesturing towards the argument.

Fayne sighed, "The Kilika rumor. I swear it's the only thing anyone can think of now. I wouldn't mind that as long as they weren't so childish about it sometimes." Fayne rolled his eyes when he heard someone slam their fist on the main table multiple times. He smiled dryly at Paine before slowly turning around. "Will you people crid dra _vilg_ ib!" he roared. The shouting immediately stopped. In fact, _all_ noise ceased. "You may continue your . . _discussion_ . . in a more adult manner. If you don't, I'll kick you all out of here for the next few days." he snarled. He turned back to Paine and slowly people began to talk quietly to one another.

"They act like children you treat them like children." Paine said, nodding.

"Precisely. And adding Al Bhed in there tends to work better than just all Spiran." Fayne took a a quick look back and then turned his attention back to Paine. "So, was there something you needed?"

"Actually," Paine took a deep breath, "yes, there is." she gave him a look and he nodded.

"Follow me." he led her to the back of the room. He opened a large wooden door and gestured for her to go in. When he followed he closed the door. They were in Fayne's quarters. A lot of the higher ups tended to have rooms up here. Closer to where they'd be needed in case of emergency. A large bed was set against the wall at the far left of the room. In the middle was a large desk with a high-back chair behind it. Maps covered the wall behind the desk. To her right was a dinner table(Fayne never ate in the galley), a wardrobe, and a door. There was a large, glass case near the wardrobe. Inside was Fayne's scythe. A silver blade, and black iron for the handle. Strange carvings adorned both the blade and the handle. The most interesting thing about the scythe were the stones set inside the handle. They gave the weapon the ability to block any elemental magic.

Fayne went to to chair and sat down. He studied the warrior for a moment before asking, "Well then, what did you need?"

Paine took a few slow steps toward the desk, "It's about Yuna's training." she began.

Fayne leaned forward in his chair, "Has it yielded any results?"

"Just the opposite. She is still just as resistant. Well, not as completely. She attacked me yesterday in a fit of anger, but she broke down immediately afterward."

Fayne nodded, his eyes lowered to the table in thought, "Hmm, that always makes it difficult to tell." he thought out loud.

"Sir?"

Fayne looked back up at Paine, "Well, it could mean that her resolve is fading. Or . . it could mean that she simply hasn't the stomach for combat. Whether she'd remain resistant is difficult to say." Paine felt a swell of hope as he said this. Maybe he'd actually call it off himself! "Further training would tell us for sure . ." he paused.

Paine felt the hope vanish like so much dust in the wind, "Sir. That's what I came to talk to you about."

Fayne raised both eyebrows, "Oh?"

"Yes. I . . uh . ." she took a deep breath.

_Just fucking say it!_

"I don't think I can do it anymore." Paine said. "Sir, she can't take violence. She's not weak, not at all, but she's just not a warrior. She can't take a life. This training is hurting her more than physically, and to continue it could have destructive affects on her. I just . . I can't bring myself to hurt her anymore, sir. I'm sorry, but I just feel that we need to stop."

Fayne was watching Paine with a blank face. No way to tell what he was thinking or how this affected him. Paine swallowed as she waited. Fayne took a breath and nodded.

"Maybe you're right." he said. Paine's eyes widened. Fayne nodded, he looked disappointed, "You won't have to continue this." he sighed. "Maybe you and Rikku can help her to find something to do here. Something she'd enjoy doing."

Relief flooded through Paine, "Thank-you, sir. I'll, uh, go tell her now."

"Very well, I just wish that the training had warranted some results. By looking at her I could tell she had potential. Go ahead and inform her that her training will no longer be necessary."

"Right." Paine nodded and left.

*******

Paine remembered Rikku saying she was going to take Yuna to the top of the ship, so that was the first place she went. The enormous deck of the ship was the perfect place for a lookout. You could see for miles in all directions.

A section of the deck had been made into a garden for people to relax in. While out at sea for a long time, some people began to yearn to see certain things. They had filled in a thirty foot long and thirty foot wide square dip in the deck with soil. They had then planted flowers along with other small plants. A path had been laid out through the garden.

Paine found Yuna and Rikku leaning on the wall at the edge of the deck, looking out over the ocean."I just don't understand why you left." Yuna said to her cousin. Neither one had seen Paine yet. "Were you even happy?"

"Of course I was, Yunie!" Rikku cried. "Why wouldn't I be. Your parents treated me like I was their kid, your sister. You were my best friend, and you still are. But . . I just wanted to be with my dad. I had only seen him once before he helped found the Leaders. That's why he left me with you and your parents. Pops thought I'd be safer with you. But I just couldn't stay away."

Paine cleared her throat and the two turned around, "Oh, hey." Yuna said.

"There you are, we've been waiting for you!" Rikku said.

"Well, how did it go with Fayne?" Yuna asked.

"Better than I thought. He just agreed that I should stop training you." Paine said.

"That's strange." Rikku said, furrowing her brow.

"Yeah. To tell you the truth it's a little scary too." Paine said. "He's not that accepting most of the time."

"Well, at least he didn't make you continue the training." Yuna said.

"Or train you himself." Rikku said.

"Yeah, thank the Fayth." Paine said. She looked out to the sea and then at Yuna, "Yuna, I need to talk to you." she cast a glance at Rikku, "Alone."

"Ya' know, I'm really startin' to feel left out." Rikku pouted.

Yuna sighed, "Sorry, Rikku. We'll spend a day together soon, okay?" she asked, a pleading smile on her lips.

Rikku nodded, "'Kay."

Paine sighed, "Yuna?" she was already heading for the stairs.

"Coming!" Yuna said. She took a last look back at Rikku, who was looking back out to the ocean, and then headed after Paine.

Author's Note: _Well, at least this chapter was longer. The next two chapters are very important to the story for two different reasons. But, I'm not going to tell you what they are. A friend of mine read my story and told me(in person, she didn't review) that she knew a couple of songs that would go really well with it. I must say, she was right! The songs are _Forgiven_, and _All I Need _by _Within Temptation_. This is the first I've heard of the band and these songs go really well with this story. _Forgiven _has piano music that reminds me a little of _X-2_ and sometimes there are background sounds that remind me of the Farplane. Anyways, thank-you _Aceina _and _Heart of a Wolf_ both for your reviews, I hope my story continues to satisfy. _

- Thank-you for reading.


	11. Chapter 10: Terrified, Pt 1

Chapter 10: Terrified – Pt. 1

Yuna followed Paine, not sure where the silver-haired girl was leading her. She figured it out when they arrived on the floor where their rooms were located. Paine passed her room and stopped in front of Yuna's. Yuna guessed it was because she didn't want Rikku accidentally walking in on whatever she wanted to talk about.

Yuna unlocked her door and was about to wait for Paine to go in, but the warrior nodded towards the open door. Yuna went through and Paine followed, closing the door.

Yuna sat down on the edge of her bed but Paine leaned against a nearby wall. She looked kind of nervous, to tell the truth. "So, what do you want to . ."

"I . . I just wanted to talk to you." Paine said, eyes trained on the floor. "I realized that it really helped me. I was able to get rid of something that I had tried to forget, but really just hurt myself by doing it."

"You bottled it up, it ate away at you." Yuna said, nodding slowly.

"Pretty much." Paine agreed. "There are a lot of reasons why I tried to distance myself. I guess that one was that I didn't want to get close to someone and then have to deal with them getting killed, or something."

"Like your friend."

"Right. It also made it harder for me to talk to people. It just got to the point where I tried to avoid communication. And then even contact." Paine said. "I always thought it was for the best. I never thought that it would hurt me. I didn't even know it had, I'd become _so_ blind!" she said it like she was scolding herself for not taking notice.

"Paine, you can't blame yourself. How many people from your group ended up like this?" Yuna asked.

Paine thought about it, "All of us. All five of us. We barely even talk to each other. No, it's harder. I always feel really uncomfortable when I'm around someone from my group."

"Were you all friends once?" Yuna asked.

Paine nodded, "All of us. All twenty of us went through so much, but we lost most of the rest. You asked me what happened to the other fifteen. Well, I'll tell you. Seven of them are dead. Only three of them died peacefully. The other four were slaughtered. The other eight . . . they're all insane. Driven mad by the training. The challenges. Some of them see visions, while some just stare into space. The reasons vary too. Some because they saw a friend or someone else get killed. Others it was just fear, plain and simple. Some just broke down out of stress. They couldn't take it."

"Did Fayne intend for . . oh yeah . . ." Yuna remembered what Paine had told her about Fayne's methods, his reasons.

Paine nodded, "I think he meant for a lot of that to happen. I think he wanted us to bond, to become close. Just to see how we'd take our friends' dying or going mad."

"Does he still . ."

"Yeah. He's got three groups of twenty. Well, there were twenty. One only has ten, last I heard. The others are down to fourteen and eleven. Right now they're here, resting from their last session. Fayne does that. He always gives the groups a week or so to rest before he starts another session."

"Fayth help them." Yuna breathed.

"They never do." Paine spat, voice bitter. She took a deep breath and walked over to the bed and sat down next to Yuna. Yuna found herself enjoying the proximity. She remembered when Paine had left in the morning. How she had felt alone after she'd left. She still wasn't sure why . .

"Yuna . ." Paine's voice drew her from her thoughts.

"Yeah?" she turned to look at the warrior.

Paine was leaning forward, eyes closed, "Have you . ." she seemed to struggle with the words. "Have you ever . . been in love?" she asked. Her voice quivered when she said it. Yuna could tell she'd been uncomfortable asking it.

It caught the brunette off guard, though, ""Uh . . well, I . . I don't, um . . . I don't think so no. W . . why?" she stammered.

"I don't know. Just wondered."

Yuna remembered her cousin, Rikku, being in love with Paine. Yuna had said that Paine could just as well be in love with Rikku. It made sense, "Have . . you ever been . . in love?" Yuna asked tentatively.

Paine nodded slowly, unsure, "I think. I mean, it was hard to tell. My friend, from my group. I don't know, I think I might have felt something for him but . . it was too early to be sure."

"What about now? Do you love anyone now?" Yuna asked.

Paine slowly opened her eyes and locked eyes with Yuna, "I don't know." she said. She held Yuna's gaze for a moment before turning her eyes back to the floor.

"Well, just don't hide from love. If you think you do care for someone, then don't hide from it. If you think they might have mutual feelings, then try and let them know. Love heals, at least, that's what I've been told." Yuna laughed. "I'm really not sure about any of that. That's just what I think."

Paine nodded slowly, "Love . . heals . . ." she murmured. Yuna heard her and watched the girl while she thought. Yuna could tell she was thinking something, but she couldn't tell what.

"Why did you ask?"

Paine sighed, "Like I said, I was just wondering. I've never let myself feel for anyone, so I don't know what it's like. I'm not even sure I'd know it if I felt it."

Yuna grinned, "I think you would. It's unmistakeable."

"Said the hopeless romantic." Paine smiled dryly. "You sound like Rikku."

Yuna arched an eyebrow, "Oh?"

"Yeah. You should hear her when she starts off on love. It can get damn annoying and it just stretches on. The last time she did it was at night. I was trying to sleep and she was curled up in her bed, smiling like an idiot. Just going on and on." Paine groaned.

Yuna started giggling, "How did you . . ?"

"I finally just got up and beat her with a fucking pillow!" Paine said. Yuna's giggling turned to laughter. "She got pissed and fought back. So I threw her out of the room and locked the door. Didn't let her in for fifteen minutes. It took her ten to shut up. I just let her sit for another five."

"You're mean." Yuna said, wiping tears from her eyes.

"Hypocrite." Paine muttered.

"Oh really?"

"Yes, you've made fun of her too. Don't try and deny it." Paine said.

Yuna's smile faded, "You're right." Yuna said.

"Don't take it so hard. It's just easy to. She can be an easy target and tends to set herself up sometimes." Paine said.

"Still." Yuna sighed. "She's not stupid. She just acts before she thinks sometimes."

"Most of the time." Paine corrected her.

"Right."

"You know what surprises me?" Paine said, voice low.

"What?" Yuna asked, furrowing her brow.

"How easy it is for me to talk to you. Fayne scares the hell out of me. Rikku . . doesn't really listen too often. I just find it hard to talk to a lot of other people, but you . . it's just easy. Almost no effort."

"Maybe opening up to me yesterday helped to bridge a gap, you know? Made it easier to talk to someone that you shared with?"

"That's . . not what I meant." Paine said, shaking her head. "I shouldn't have told you that. Well, not you specifically, I normally wouldn't have told _anyone_ what I told you. I would've stopped. Hell, I wouldn't even have started talking to them. But you . . it was like I knew I could trust you."

Yuna nodded and tried to make sense of what Paine had said, "That's interesting."

"You're damn right." Paine grumbled. "Confusing more or less fits the bill."

"Well, not so much confusing as just . . . okay, maybe you're right." Yuna said, letting out a short laugh.

Paine watched her as she thought, as she laughed. Her smile, that sparkle in her dual-colored eyes. How kind she was, understanding. She lied to her when she said she didn't know if she loved someone. She did. She loved Yuna. And being this close to her, talking to her, and hiding her feelings for her from her. Not knowing whether or not Yuna loved her.

It was killing her.

She wanted to know. She didn't want to be alone anymore. Of course that confused matters. She was pretty sure it'd devastate her if Yuna didn't love her. She wouldn't want to know, were that the case. But then again, that brought it back to the beginning. She wanted to know.

_I hate it when my mind goes in circles!_

Paine pinched the bridge of her nose.

Yuna had said that if you loved someone, that you should try and let them know. Of course, Paine didn't know how Yuna felt. She'd scare her if she just up and told her. She wanted to be with Yuna. She felt that that was what was right for her. It would, as Yuna said, be good for her. Help her.

Paine's thoughts trailed off, she stopped paying attention to the voices in her head. Yuna had been saying something. She'd been talking about how even if they didn't know the reason, it was still good that Paine was opening up like this. Even if were only to Yuna for now. That for now it was probably best that it was just her.

Yuna looked at Paine for the first time during what she'd been saying. Her eyes locked with Paine's crimson ones. The look in them made her stop. Yuna tilted her head to side, "Paine, is something wrong?"

The warrior blinked and shook her head slowly, but she didn't look away. The look was one that Yuna had never seen before. It made her nervous. She placed a cautious hand on Paine's.

"Paine?" Yuna asked. A little worried for Paine, and even a little for herself, but she didn't know why. Paine raised a hand slowly and cupped Yuna's cheek. Yuna flinched at the touch.

"Yuna, I . ." Paine swallowed. She wasn't sure what she was saying at first, but with growing dread she slowly realized what it was. "You asked me if I loved anyone now." her hand slowly dropped from the island girl's face. "I . . I don't want to lie to you. I think I do." for a brief moment, Yuna thought Paine was going to say it was Rikku. "Yuna, you've helped me in a way no one else could have. Just you being here has affected me." the thought vanished. "Yuna, I'm not sure what you'll think but . . I think I love you."

Yuna stammered, wracking her mind for something to say. She was about to try and move farther away from Paine, but what the warrior did next stopped her cold.

She kissed her.

Yuna was too shocked to move. Too shocked to think. Her mind went completely blank at the touch. Her eyes had closed without her even realizing, and she found that she couldn't open them. Her blank, quiet mind was filled with an explosion as she suddenly pieced all the clues together. All the little details came together in a white fury. It stunned her. Numbed her.

Terrified her.

For only a matter of seconds they held the contact. But Paine reluctantly broke away. She kept her face close to Yuna's, gently nuzzling her. Yuna's eyes only opened halfway, she looked like she was going to fall asleep, but her mind was wide awake and reeling.

"Yuna . . you said . . you said that you wanted to help me find peace. Well, this is how you can. I'll stop if you want me to. I don't want to force you."

Yuna struggled to say yes. She needed to, wanted to. She had to think about this. That brief kiss had ignited a fire in her that threatened to consume her soul. But she still wasn't sure. She was just so confused. She tried to say that she needed time, but something held her back. A force deep down inside her that she'd never felt before. It scared her. It was powerful, more powerful than she could imagine.

And it had her in a vice grip.

"No." she heard a whisper, a breath. She realized it was her. That force had made the decision for her. Yuna tried to struggle against it, but found herself powerless against it.

_No._

_Don't fight. I'm here to help you. Just don't resist, you'll thank me later._

A voice from deep inside her spoke. It sounded like her but . . it wasn't her. Paine's crimson eyes lit up with a fire Yuna had never seen before. She would have pulled away, tried to talk sense into the warrior, but she was a prisoner in her own body.

A horrible thought crossed Yuna's mind, _Rikku . . _

_I . . I can't . . Rikku loves Paine! She'd kill me if she knew! I can't betray her like this . . it would kill her . . ._

Paine smiled softly as Yuna began to shiver, "Yuna . . you don't need to be afraid." she gently kissed Yuna again. Despite her reluctance, Yuna found herself relishing the contact. She had never felt like this before, and she found that she wanted more. But at the same time she was afraid of it.

_This . . this is wrong!_

_Listen to yourself! _Yuna scolded herself. _You said it yourself, love is love. Right? Damned hypocrite . . . _

Yuna could feel Paine trembling and realized with a start that she was afraid too! _Maybe even more than you . . ._

The warrior's fingers gently traced Yuna's jawline, shaking as they went. Yuna cursed herself, _This is much harder for her! She is only beginning to open up! And having only known you this long . . and having fallen for you so quickly . . she's probably scared to death. Especially since you're just sitting there like a lump on a fucking log!_

The force inside her reacted to that, and gave her a little leeway. Yuna found that she now only had half the control over herself that she should. At the same time, the force had more control, so if she tried something . . .

Yuna reached tentatively with one hand. Paine absentmindedly held her breath. She took one of Paine's hands in hers and gently squeezed. Paine let out a short breath. She felt Paine's lips on her jaw, her neck.

She tilted her head, eyes closing as she felt a soothing warmth overtake her. A hand slowly ran through her hair. Yuna let out a short sigh. All previous reluctance gone. She'd never felt so content before. So safe, secure, so _loved_. As Paine's kisses slowly traveled back up her neck, Yuna tilted her head again and gently kissed Paine's cheek. The warrior's soft skin on her own lips brought new sensations that filled her heart and clouded her mind.

Paine had never felt happier. Never had she been so connected to another person. It was the most wonderful thing she could imagine. Nothing she had imagined could compare to this. All fantasies and hopes withered in contrast. Yuna's cream colored skin was soft and warm against her lips. So many new and wonderful feelings filled her heart to the point where it felt full to burst!

Yuna opened her eyes as Paine's kisses trailed back up her jawline. The crimson doors of the warriors eyes had opened. The flurry of emotions the silver-haired girl felt could be seen. What surprised Yuna were the tears that slowly rolled down Paine's cheeks. That was until Yuna felt them too. Hot tears of joy that sprang from her eyes snaked down her cheeks which had turned a soft shade of pink.

Paine's lips brushed Yuna's, and she felt them slowly form a shaky smile, "Yuna." she managed to breathe. Yuna had never heard her name said like that before. With such subtle, but powerful emotion, nonetheless. Yuna placed her hands on Paine's shoulders, as if to brace herself. Paine pressed her lips gently to Yuna's.

Yuna's hands tightened on her shoulders, but slowly loosened. They slipped down until they were pressed to Paine's back in order to steady herself. Paine let her arms wrap around the smaller girl, so that she was holding her.

Paine slowly laid back, taking Yuna with her so that the island girl was laying on halfway on top of her. Paine felt a trickle of cold inside her, but ignored it. What she didn't know was that Yuna was feeling something similar.

Paine felt herself wanting more. She wanted to deepen what she was doing, to better express her love, to better feel Yuna. It came like a hunger, slowly growing with the cold. She cautiously opened her mouth and let her tongue lightly play against Yuna's lips. The brunette looked down at her, a trace of fear in her beautiful dual-colored eyes. But the look in Paine's eyes, the way she was gently holding her, it reassured her. Yuna slowly opened her mouth. When their tongues met they both flinched. But the new contact filled both girls with passion.

At first they kissed slowly, gently exploring each others mouths. Tongues dancing, ever so slightly. But the kiss slowly grew more intense, more passionate. The trickle of cold in each of them grew until it was a flood to match their flaming emotions. It leaked from them as soft light, surrounding them. Caressing the two.

When the two lights met it filled the girls with a rush of burning heat. A wonderful, intense surge that made it feel as if they were truly connected. Then Paine realized, they _were_ connected. The mingling lights drained them, but it made them feel a bond that neither had ever dreamed of.

With a flash the light was gone, the connection slowly faded. The two girls felt exhausted. They were both panting, but still in each others arms. Yuna had no idea what just happened. But she ignored it. All she wanted to think about was Paine.

The warrior noticed that Yuna was falling asleep. Paine realized that she felt tired as well, and that her mind was slowly slipping away. She tightened her embrace around Yuna and tried to stay awake. The lights, the connection, the cold, it made her realize something that she should have seen earlier. She remembered Yuna having used magic when she attacked her. Paine had put it off. Now she realized that was a mistake.

With growing dread she knew what she had to do. She had to take Yuna to Fayne. It was imperative. No matter how much she didn't want to. She feared Fayne's original intentions for Yuna, and this just made matters worse. She was afraid. And as she fell over the edge and into sleep, she knew that she was not afraid for herself.

She was afraid for Yuna . . .

Author's Note: _Yes, yes, a cliffhanger, don't judge me. It will continue into Pt. 2. As I said, these next two chapters were very important. Now you know _one _of the reasons. Prepare yourself for the next half, which will come soon. Thank-you to everyone who has reviewed so far, it helps to fuel my drive to __write!_

- Thank-you for reading.


	12. Chapter 11: Terrified, Pt 2

Chapter 11: Terrified – Pt. 2

It was cold.

A light fog hung in the air. The air was cold, but not freezing. Dark trees rose up all around. Bushes grew along the trees, and flowers sprung up from the ground in clusters. A thin layer of ice coated the brown bark of the trees, the leaves on the bushes, the flowers, even the blades of grass.

Yuna had opened her eyes to find herself in this . . eerily beautiful, frozen forest. She was laying on the ground, the grass and flowers cold against her skin. The ice melted, leaving thin streams of cool water on her legs and arms. Her breath curled from her lips in a faint mist.

The trees still had all their leaves, so it had to be a dream. A soft, gray light filtered in through the gaps in the leaves. Yuna stretched absentmindedly, and found that it felt just as real as it shouldn't have. She frowned and felt something cool hit her cheek. Lifting a finger to her face, she gingerly touched the wet drop and, upon pulling her finger away, found it to be merely water. A drop of ice that probably slid off a leaf from above.

Yuna pushed herself up and propped herself on the palms of her hands. The grass and flowers crunched beneath her weight. She drew a leg up, and then the other. With a gentle push she started to stand. She looked around. She took a few cautious steps, and nothing happened.

Her eyes traveled the expanse of the forest. It was so quiet. The only noise coming from her movements. It made her feel like she should remain as still as possible, so not to disturb the serene quiet. Like it would be a crime to destroy more of the undergrowth.

A faint sound, like the gentlest tinkling of a bell, tickled her ears, making her turn. Her eyes sought out the source. She thought she saw a faint glimmer, or the shine of a dull light, but she put it off as her imagination. That made her smile. Of course it was. This was a dream. She created it.

Right?

Something about this cold world seemed a little too real, no matter how false it felt. Almost like . . it shouldn't exist.

_**Ah . . so the little girl has caught on . . .**_

___Clever . . ._

_So bright . . ._

_A good little child . . ._

Yuna whirled around, looking in all directions for the voices. The forest had returned to its old serenity. Something sounded to her right. She turned her head. It had sounded like a cross between an echoing breath, wind, and a nearly inaudible scream. Another sounded, from her left this time. Same sound, only it seemed more like a wail.

"They sound . . in pain." Yuna whispered. The sounds carried so much in them. Sorrow, anger, hatred. A _crunch_ made her stop. She slowly turned around. It had sounded like movement.

A shape was moving slowly through a patch of bushes. It wasn't too tall, but it looked bulky. Yuna couldn't help but whimper as she backed away from the approaching shape.

_**No need to be afraid, dear . . You need not fear me . . They will come to you . . speak to you . .**_

___LIES!_

_Their words are corruption!_

_Meaningless poison!_

Yuna started to breathe faster out of fear. Her heart sped up in her chest. The sheer, raw emotion in those words was frightening. "Who . . who are y . . you?" she stammered. She crossed her arms over her chest to try and stop from shaking. Not from the cold, but out of fear.

_**We are . . I am . . It is as simple as that . . .**_

___Obscure . . ._

_Friend . . ._

_Companion . . ._

The shape emerged slowly from the bush. Yuna gasped at the sight. It was a wolf. Larger than it should have been, but it was a wolf nonetheless. It's coat was a shiny, jet black. Its eyes shone gold, though. It stared at her as it remained where it was. It bobbed its head a little and its nose twitched as it sniffed the air, testing it.

_**Ah, fear is so unnecessary, my dear. You are tired, I can feel it. Lay down and rest. You are welcome here, and will be protected. **_

The words flowed through her mind. They were sweet as honey, warm like a breeze on Besaid. She felt so comfortable. She couldn't help but lay down.

_**Sadly, you cannot remain forever. For now, at least. But you will return. I will wait for you. And remember my warnings, dear Yuna.**_

Yuna nodded slowly. She felt so tired. Her eyelids were drooping, her mind was swimming. She laid down on the blanket of frozen flowers and grass. As her eyes closed, and her vision blurred, something began to fly over her. Tiny luminescent orbs of light. She couldn't see them clearly, but they looked to be a grayish blue, or some dull color. They swarmed over her, and she felt something wet touch her hand. She was sure it was the nose of the wolf.

She smiled as she fell asleep. Even though she was sure that she was already asleep anyway . . .

_I told you . . ._

_I told you, didn't I . . ._

*******

Paine felt something warm against her move and slowly opened her eyes. In the now low lights, the first thing she saw was the hair her face seemed to be buried in. The warrior lifted her head and looked down at the sleeping form of Yuna cuddled up to her.

Paine remembered full well what had happened. How beautiful, and frightening, the connection had been. What it meant . . for Yuna. Paine frowned at the thought.

She removed an arm from around Yuna and gently brushed a few rebellious strands of hair out of Yuna's face. The brunette sighed and shifted, but remained asleep.

For a moment, Paine wondered why Yuna was still sound asleep. She nearly kicked herself for asking that question. Yuna was not used to using that kind of power. Paine was, just not for that particular reason. She realized that she was just trying to distract herself.

_You have to tell him._

_If you don't, she'll die. Simple as that._

Paine took a shaky breath and lightly traced a finger down Yuna's face. She paused in her descent just to feel the girl's skin. She didn't want to think about what she had to do. She just wanted to lose herself in this girl. But she knew that would be wrong. That would be selfish. Yuna's life was now at stake, thanks to Paine. But she feared the only way to save her.

_Tell him!_

Paine sighed. She would have to do it sooner or later. No matter how much she feared Fayne's intentions. Paine lowered her head and closed her eyes, _Fayth forgive me_.

_And damn them to hell!_

She started to slide off the bed and Yuna instinctively tried to move closer to her. It pained her, but she still got up. Yuna immediately curled up into a ball.

Paine turned from the bed and slowly went to the door. She stopped in front of it, one hand on the latch. She couldn't bring herself to turn it. The warrior touched her forehead to the door and swallowed. She touched a finger to the door and slowly traced down it. The wood was smooth and cool, not feeling at all like it appeared.

Paine felt a need to look back, but didn't. So many of these feelings where new to her. Their affects as well. If she turned around . . she didn't know what she'd do. It scared her. The idea that she didn't know what she would do was frightening to her.

In the end, she did what she had to. She turned the latch, slowly as to avoid the nearly inevitable _click_ one got when they twisted it. She slipped out into the lit hall and closed the door just as slowly. She looked both left and right to make sure no one saw her coming out of the room. Satisfied, she started for the stairs.

She wasn't completely sure where Fayne would be. He would either be in his quarters, or still trying to calm down the top brass. She passed a number of people while going up the stairs and nodded to each as she passed. Near the top, she slowed down when she heard voices.

"Cid! For the last time, the attack on Kilika was only a rumor! We have confirmed it!" Fayne growled.

"I'm sorry if I doubt you, but so far whenever you do this they always wind up attacking _after_ you say they aren't going to." Cid countered.

"Believe me, Cid. Just trust me! There will be _NO_ attack on Kilika. Now why don't you people discuss something of importance? Like the reclaiming of Besaid, maybe?" Fayne said. Paine reached the top of the stairs to see Fayne pinching the bridge of his nose with one arm crossed over his chest. He smiled dryly.

"Paine, twice in one day? Why, if I didn't know any better . ." he sighed. Paine was taken slightly aback by the comment. Fayne's hand dropped from his face, "Only kidding. I assume there's something you wish to talk about?" he asked, looking up. His swirling eyes locked with her crimson ones.

Paine nodded slowly, "Something has happened."

Fayne frowned, "What do you mean?" Paine opened her mouth but found that she couldn't speak.

"I need to talk to you." she finally said, eyes moving to glance at the other people in the room. "It's about . ." she stopped. "Yuna." she said. The name tasted bitter on her lips, and she felt like she'd truly betrayed the girl. "I think she might be one . . one of . . us."

Fayne's eyes widened, "Follow me." he said. He led her back to his quarters. He let her in before him and followed, closing the door. Only this time he didn't sit down. He started pacing. "I wasn't sure, but I could feel it. The moment I saw her, I felt that power."

Paine's eyes widened, "You knew?" she looked down at the floor. "That's why you were so interested in her. That's why you wouldn't wait to train her."

Fayne nodded, "Precisely. How did you . ."

Paine looked back up at him, "Uh, well, we, uh . ."

"I think I already know." Fayne mumbled.

Paine took a deep breath, "We, uh, we connected."

Fayne sighed, "Of course. So you two . ."

"Well, not exactly . ."

"Isn't that how people usually . . _connect_?" Fayne asked, arching an eyebrow. Paine sighed, but nodded. "You know what I have to do now, don't you?" Paine nodded slowly. Fayne sighed and placed a hand on the warrior's shoulder, startling her, "I know you don't like this, but I have to do it. You know what will happen if I don't. You've seen . ."

Paine pulled away from him, her eyes screwed shut and her hands up in front of her, "I . . I know . . I . . know . . ." she said, voice shaking.

Fayne nodded, "Bring her up here. We have to tell her . . now."

Paine nodded and slowly went to the door. She moved slowly down the stairs, dreading what she had to do. When she finally reached Yuna's door she went in as quickly as possible and closed the door quietly. She moved silently to the bed and looked at Yuna. She sat down on the edge of the bed and leaned closer to the brunette.

"Yuna." she whispered. She gently shook the girl and whispered her name again.

Yuna slowly opened her eyes and looked around. She looked confused, and a little nervous. She finally looked up at the warrior, "Paine?" she asked sleepily.

Paine nodded, "Yeah." she let a small smile turn her lips.

Yuna yawned and smiled back, though her eyes reflected nervousness, "Is something wrong?" she asked.

Paine's smile faded, "No." she shook her head. She placed a hand on Yuna's shoulder, "Fayne wants to talk to you though. There's something he needs to tell you."

Yuna looked apprehensive now, but nodded, "Kay." Paine helped her up and after Yuna stretched she followed Paine out the door and up the stairs. She was still feeling drained, so Paine wound up having to walk beside her just in case Yuna lost her balance.

When they reached the top, Yuna looked around and then back at Paine, she was frowning, "Where's . ."

"This way." Paine said, pointing towards Fayne's door. They found that Fayne was still standing, though he was looking at his scythe. He heard the door open but waited for it to close before turning around. He could tell immediately that Yuna was still weary.

"Yuna. Would you like a seat?" he asked, gesturing to one of the chairs. Yuna shook her head. Fayne nodded and moved closer to the two girls. He noted that Paine had taken a very stoic stance, though her eyes made it clear that she felt like she needed to protect Yuna. He gave her a look of his own before turning his attention to Yuna.

His eyes captivated her, the way the colors changed, how they looked sort of smoky, almost, "To start, Yuna, Paine has already told me about what you two have done." Yuna's eyes widened with something akin to fear and looked back at Paine. The warrior nodded and gestured towards Fayne. Yuna turned back to the head of operations, now looking very nervous. "I have no problem with it, Yuna. So you don't need to worry about that. What I need to talk to you about is something that happened between the two of you."

"What do you . ."

"The lights. Remember?" Paine asked.

Yuna nodded slowly, "Yes. But I don't . ."

"It is called connecting. What it may have felt like is what happened. You connected with Paine in a way that people normally shouldn't. There is only one way you can. If you are born of the Fayth." Fayne said.

"Born of the . ."

"When we first debriefed you we did not tell you the whole truth, as per Paine's request." Fayne said.

Yuna looked shocked, and she felt hurt. She turned back to look at the warrior. Paine saw the look in her eyes and hung her head, "Why?" Yuna asked.

"Because I didn't think you were ready. There are a lot of people here who still don't know the truth." Paine sighed. "I'd have told you after you were settled, but now it looks like we have no choice."

"What do you mean?" Yuna asked, the comment making her nervous again.

"Paine and I are two people who have a very certain set of powers." Fayne said. "We are born of the Fayth. Living Fayth."

"What does that mean?" Yuna asked. "Living Fayth . . the Fayth are . . well, I'm not sure what they are . . ."

"Very powerful souls." Fayne said. "They are the souls of those sacrificed in the defense of this world. Of course, no one knows what they were protecting this world from, it was so long ago." Fayne said. "Anyway, about two-hundred years ago, the Fayth found themselves under attack by a force they didn't know existed. It began draining them of their powers, and it did not reveal itself for some time. It is called the Dark Fayth. You see, Yuna, the Fayth are not the only powerful souls out there.

"Bevelle worships only a select few of the Fayth, but there are many more out there. The Dark Fayth is one of the unknown ones. A man was killed by an early form of the Followers, worshipers of the Dark Fayth. The Fayth, in their weakened state, used him and his loved ones here on Spira as conduits to combat this threat. In the end, the Dark Fayth almost destroyed the Farplane, it became so powerful.

"The Fayth knew there was one final thing they could do. They restored the man to life, a thing they rarely do. It cost them most of the little power they had left. In doing so, he sacrificed himself to defend Spira."

"He died. They brought him back to life, and then they told him to commit suicide." Paine said, shaking her head.

"In doing so, he became a Fayth. He was not drained like the rest, and using his power, they managed to stop the Dark Fayth . . temporarily. The man was then given life again to spend the rest of his life with those he loved. He and everyone who helped him became the first living Fayth. Their descendants also carried the gene. It is normally easy to tell a living Fayth by their eyes. As you can see, mine are . . less than normal. Paine's are crimson and tend to glow in the dark. Quite terrifying, actually."

Paine rolled her eyes, but Yuna made an O with her mouth, "I thought it looked like they were glowing!"

"Yes. Any living Fayth in her immediate family, one other, has crimson eyes like that. Paine is notably powerful, due to her lineage. She is a descendant of the first living Fayth. The man who helped first drive the Dark Fayth away. His name is Daceon."

Yuna recalled hearing Paine say his name before, "Daceon." she said, the name sounding odd on her tongue.

"Yeah. My ancestor is famous amongst the living Fayth." Paine said. "It can be a little irritating."

"Yes, especially since he is now the most powerful of the Fayth." Fayne said. "Anyway. As it turns out Yuna, you too are a living Fayth."

Yuna frowned, "So, what do I . ."

"First, you will have to be trained in how to use that power now awakened inside of you." Fayne said. "If I don't, you'd die for sure. And it's never a pretty death. Never quick and painless. Always slow, and very, _very_ painful."

"That's not everything about the training, though." Paine said.

"Some consider it to be obtrusive. Sometimes painful. It depends." Fayne said, shrugging. "Will you go through with it?"

Yuna was stunned, "I . . you're giving me a choice?"

"I'm hoping you'll make the right one, but yes."

Yuna looked back at Paine, who averted her gaze, still ashamed and feeling like she'd betrayed Yuna. Yuna gently laid a hand on Paine's arm and the warrior winced at the touch. Yuna turned to Fayne and nodded, "I'll do it." she said.

Fayne smiled, "Good. I sense . . I can feel your power, Yuna. You may be stronger than me." he said, starting to sound almost excited.

Paine looked at her mentor, shocked, "Stronger than . ."

Yuna frowned, "Wait, what's so . ."

"Fayne is the most powerful living Fayth to date." Paine said slowly.

Fayne nodded, "Paine is the second strongest, her sister is a close third."

"Sister?" Yuna asked, feeling much more confused now. Her mind was practically spinning.

Paine sighed, "She prefers to stay away from the rest of the living Fayth. Work against the Followers and the Dark Fayth alone."

"Suicidal." Fayne commented. "We don't know if she's dead or alive."

"I think she's dead." Paine grumbled. "I almost hope she is."

"Yes, there have been numerous family feuds in the Daceonic lineage." Fayne said. "It gets rather annoying after a while. Well, that's all you need to know Yuna. We can give it a day or so before your first session. I'll have Paine bring you up when I feel it is time." he moved back to his scythe and started to stare at it again. "You two may go now. I would recommend sleep. It's late."

"Sleep sounds good." Yuna said, yawning. Paine smiled and opened the door for her. She cast a last look back at Fayne before following Yuna out the door and to the stairs.

"I'll ask him to go easy on you. Even if it's not painful, it's unpleasant." Paine said once they were on the stairs.

Yuna shook her head sleepily, "No. It'll only take longer that way. I'll deal with whatever he throws at me."

Paine watched her as she spoke, the confidence in her eyes, in her voice, it amazed her, "Your call. I was only trying to help."

"Thanks." Yuna said. They reached their floor and started down the hall. Halfway to Paine and Rikku's room, Paine stopped Yuna.

"I think it'd be better if I were to sleep in my own room tonight." Paine whispered. "Just to be safe. Or else Rikku might start getting suspicious."

Yuna nodded, she kept a straight face but felt a little disappointed. Though she had to admit, Paine was right. They reached Paine's door and before walking away, Yuna placed a comforting hand on the warrior's arm before going to her own room.

Paine watched her as she went into her room and shut the door. She let out a breath and closed her eyes.

_Thank the Fayth._

She smiled and opened her eyes. She opened the door to find the room dark, but no sounds of breathing. Rikku wasn't back yet. Paine went in and closed the door, letting darkness consume her. She moved slowly to her bed and took off her boots. As she laid down, she completed her old mantra. One that she had picked up after hearing Fayne use it multiple times. There were many different ways to say it, but Fayne had invented it.

_And damn them to hell!_

Author's Note: _I apologize for the delay. And for the quality of the chapter. My computer fucked up and killed the original six pages, which I was really proud of. So I had to rewrite it and it came out like this. Of course, the first part of this chapter was new. I added it while trying to rewrite this chapter. Oh well, I'll try and make up for it with the next chapter. I hope you've enjoyed this chapter, and I thank everyone who has reviewed so far. _

-Thank-you for reading.


	13. Chapter 12: High Priest

_Okay, this chapter differs from the others for one major reason: It takes place in Zanarkand. The mainland war IS NOT unimportant. I just felt it was time to introduce you, the readers, to another side of the world. As well as a few other main characters and the first major villain._

Chapter 12: High Priest

The great city of Zanarkand was the largest city in all of Spira. Massive, blood red buildings built in intricate and curved shapes could be seen for many miles. Its temple outdid every Temple of the Fayth in the world, much to Bevelle's annoyance. A city of thousands. And the home of the Black Army of the Polemarch.

The capital building, the palace, towered above all buildings. Its length and height were awe-inspiring. Because of the war, most of the soldiers were gone. Only the most elite remained to defend the palace and the city. Numerous soldiers in jet-black armor stood in front of the palace.

Inside was not only where the royal family and other higher ups of Zanarkand lived, but it was also the home of the Polemarch's single, magnificent temple. Headed by the High Priest, confidant of the Lord of Zanarkand, Yu Yevon.

Yevon was a charismatic speaker. His powers of persuasion unrivaled. It was common gossip amongst both higher political members of society, upper classes, and some of the lower class, that his words were like a sweet poison. Tainting your heart and mind, while giving you a sugary feeling of comfort. Like nothing the High Priest said was wrong. As such, some members of the Polemarch wanted him dead.

But they weren't the only ones.

The temple itself was reverently situated in the direct center of the palace. Crystal from Macalania decorated the walls. In the very front of the temple sat massive statues to each of the most powerful and respected Fayth. They were images of their legendary physical forms, long ago dubbed "Aeons", since their age surpassed recorded history. Along the edges of the temple, channels carried water brought from pools in Macalania. Pillars of black and bright white marble jutted from the chiseled floor to the ceiling which was lined with gold and silver. The pillars formed a circle around the center of the temple chamber. In the direct center sat a large, jagged pillar of jet-black stone. No one knew its purpose, and that was the way Yevon wanted it to stay.

Yevon was currently standing before the largest statue. It was a huge swarm of pyreflies. Regarded as the most amazing and well carved of the statues, the swarm towered above the other statues, carved with such delicate and elegant detail. It was a tribute to a mysterious Fayth known only as "Final Light".

The High Priest had ghostly white skin and his eyes shifted constantly, swirling pools of black and blue. His hair was short, unruly, and colored a deep onyx. His robe was long and beautiful. It was black and blue, and the colors, though dark and dull, somehow managed to be radiant. Silver trimmed along the neck, sleeves, and hem of the robe.

He began to mutter an ancient prayer to the Fayth, all the while resisting the urge to smile. Even if the prayer to aid Zanarkand's troops was heard, the Fayth would completely ignore it.

There was no way they'd answer the prayers of the High Priest of the Followers.

He finished the prayer and bowed ceremoniously before turning back to face the massive black pillar. It was unsightly, a monstrosity amidst the beauty and grandeur of the great temple. People would gossip about how he had managed to get it into the temple. They said that he had bewitched the Lord in order to procure the strange stone.

The rumor was mostly true. Yevon had used his powers of persuasion to convince the Lord of the Polemarch that the stone would add to temple's true glory.

He reached out and laid his hand on the stone. He gasped and flinched as power flowed into him, energizing him. His hand fell from the rock and he stepped back. Carved crudely into the black was a small letter "F". It would be nearly impossible to find if one was not looking for it.

It stood for two things: The Followers, obviously, and "Fall of the Fayth". The latter being a kind of mantra for other more powerful members of the Followers. While Yevon was not extremely powerful, he had political connections in Zanarkand that would crumble most weaker opposition.

Yevon turned his eyes back to the statues behind him, looking over the giant carvings. He grimaced at the images of the once greatly revered Aeons, physical manifestations of the immortal and all-powerful Fayth. But the Fayth were not as all-powerful as everyone thought.

That was one of the things he wanted to prove. That was what the Dark Fayth wanted to prove. That Spira could be rid of their tyranny. That their destruction was not only possible, but inevitable. And as the High Priest of Zanarkand, the leader of the Followers was in the perfect position to do just what he needed to do.

He heard a low groan as the massive double doors of the temple swung open behind him. His gaze lingered on the statues for a moment before he turned. A young man stepped just over the threshold and stopped. He said a silent prayer, as all did when entering the sacred place, before walking further in.

Yevon regarded him without emotion, as he usually did messengers. The young man stopped skirted around the pillars, never setting foot inside the circle. He stopped about five feet from the High Priest and bowed his head.

"High Priest, the Lord requires your presence." he said meekly. Yevon grunted and the boy turned and headed for the door, Yevon followed a moment later.

He was not known for his chattiness.

The two guards in Stygian armor outside the doors closed them once Yevon was out of the temple. They walked down a large corridor. Marble and crystal statues, mirrors with gilded edges, and large paintings lined the walls.

They passed numerous monks and political figures. All of them stopped, bowed their, and muttered, "Holy One," when Yevon passed. They reached a large staircase and started up. After another five minutes or so they reached a large, circular chamber. The ceiling was domed, murals adorned most of the walls, and in the very center of the room was a large iron table.

Ten guards in black armor were present in the room along with five servants, the five highest political figures, three generals, and one other man. The Lord of Zanarkand was old. Very old. His hair was white and thin, skin wrinkled and pale, eyes clouded, and his movements slow. He wore a long blood red robe with golden symbols sewn into it. He wore no crown, seeing no need for one.

"Yevon." the Lord said slowly as the High Priest entered. Yevon bowed respectfully.

"Good of you to join us, _Holy One_." a general spat, voice laced with venom. Yevon rose and glared at the ignorant man.

"Leave him be, Marcus." the Lord said wearily. Yevon slowly approached the table in the center of the room. On it was a large half-sphere. It was a map of Spira. From the archipelago, peninsulas, islands, and mainland, every aspect of the map was made as precise as possible. Icons peppered the map, representing cities, villages, ports, and Bevelle's fortress temples.

"What do you require of me, Lord?" Yevon asked. His voice was colder than ice. Soft, but it still managed to gain the attention of every person in the room.

The leader of Zanarkand nodded and turned to the map. He pointed a trembling finger towards the Calm Lands on the map. It was marked clearly with massive canyons and mountains. "In one week, Bevelle will move an army through the Calm Lands. They will head for Gagazet. Most of out forces are gone and cannot come back. The city is not as protected as I would like, and I fear that Bevelle will use our carelessness to end the war."

Yevon nodded slowly, "But we do have soldiers left, Lord. Close to two hundred, if I'm correct."

Marcus sighed, "Two hundred soldiers will be nothing. Bevelle's army is gigantic. They will send close to five hundred. I know they have at least that many free from battle."

"I'm confused, Lord. I am but the High Priest, why summon me?" Yevon asked.

The Lord nodded slowly, "There is only one way to end this attack. But I hate to do it." he closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened he looked sadly at the map before continuing, "The Calm Lands is a holy place. It was declared a long time ago by the Fayth that no battle will take place there."

Yevon nodded slowly, an idea quickly formed in his head. For a long time he had manipulated the Lord and Lady of Zanarkand. He had used his powers to tell them what to do. Whatever he said, the Lord would do.

"My Lord. I believe that in a time like this, such things can be put aside." Yevon said slowly, earning many surprised and confused looks from around the room. "If you sent most of our soldiers to the Calm Lands, they could hide in the mountains. When Bevelle's soldiers come along, you merely start an avalanche. Those that were not killed by rock, would die by our blade afterward."

Marcus grimaced, "A High Priest going against the decree of the Fayth? Is this not heresy, Lord?"

Yevon sighed, "If it would please my Lord, I could ask the Fayth myself, gain their approval. I'm sure they would allow us this chance to save our people."

The Lord looked at the map, "Only if their consent is given, will I do such a thing." he turned to Yevon. "Seek their guidance, Holy One. Let us know their decision."

Yevon nodded, "I will have your answer in a matter of hours, Lord." Yevon bowed. He turned and slowly walked to the chamber doors, which two guards opened for him.

The powerful figure, even though he supposedly represented something kind and protecting, was very imposing when he needed to be. He heard the doors shut behind him as he walked down the hall. He didn't even pay attention to the soldier, adorned in black armor that covered every inch of his body, that had slipped out of the room and followed him down the hall, making sure to keep his distance as not to rouse suspicion.

When Yevon entered the temple, the soldier kept on going, moving deeper and deeper into the massive palace, the corridors of said structure burrowing deep beneath the earth. He didn't have to go too far down. Just a few floors below ground. Down there, the luster of the palace faded. This was where the most powerful people in Zanarkand lived. Not politically powerful.

Magically.

Most people could not use magic. But for hundreds of years, Zanarkand had been breaking the ancient decree of its enemy, Bevelle. They spent many rigorous years forcing arcane knowledge found on ancient tablets into the minds of the very young. It paid off by producing humans capable of wielding magic. Though not very powerful, their use surprised many enemy regiments. And since they knew no magic, the magicians devastated their forces.

Crystals from Macalania lit the stone halls. The walls were a bland shade of gray, there was no need for color or decoration down here. The Stygian soldier passed a multitude of doors before reaching a door with a large cut across the surface. He knocked at the door. For a moment there was silence, but finally there was a sound from within. The door opened slowly. The soldier cocked his head to the side and made a sound that could have been a laugh.

"Up late?" he asked, voice echoing under the helmet. The tone he used, though, was suggestive.

The woman who opened the door frowned. She had a black robe wrapped around her, her black hair was loose and chaotic, draping over her face and hiding one of her eyes. In the dim light, she look sickly pale, and her visible eye glowed a deep, evil red in the flickering mix of candle- and crystal light.

"I'll set you on fire." she said harshly.

"Ooh, someone sounds . ."

"You say hormonal, I'll do much worse than fire."

The soldier chuckled, "Sorry, Lu." he said. He may have laughed, but unlike the other magicians down there, Lulu was much more powerful. And he had true reason to fear her threats.

"Did you need something, Tidus?" she hissed, saying his name venomously.

"Listen, I didn't know you were sleeping or . ."

"Or what?"

Tidus flinched, "Or . . nothing, never mind." he shook his head nervously. "But yes, there is something I need to tell you. Yevon was just summoned by the Lord. He's been asked to consult the _Fayth_ on whether or not they should stop a Bevelle movement on Zanarkand."

Lulu made a face, "And?"

Tidus sighed, "And they want to stop them by causing an avalanche in the Calm Lands."

Lulu's face visibly paled, her jaw dropped, and it would have been comical had it not been for the severity of the situation, "Yevon will lie. They'll do it. They'll desecrate the holy site."

Tidus nodded, "Yeah, and this will seriously cripple Bevelle," he paused, "not that I have any problem with that. But if this attack fails, Bevelle is going to lose the war. The Polemarch is winning on the mainland. And if the Polemarch rules Spira . ." he stopped, Lulu finished the thought.

"Yevon rules it." she said slowly. At first, Yevon had merely been a threat because of his position in the Followers. But over time, they realized that his ties with the Polemarch went much higher and far deeper than they thought. So much, in fact, that he practically controlled Zanarkand. And if Bevelle's empire became Zanarkand's, then Yevon, and the Dark Fayth, would practically rule the world.

And the war they thought was going to last for years was now looking as if it was about to end a lot sooner than they thought.

Author's Note: _I'm am so, so sorry it took this long to get this . . somewhat tiny chapter out. I'll try to get the next chapter out faster, and don't worry, I'm not going to abandon this story. I've got plans for it, and I really like where this is going. Thank-you to all the readers and for the reviews! I hope you enjoyed this chapter._

-Thank-you for reading.


	14. Chapter 13: Any Chance

Chapter 13: Any Chance(Teardrop)

Rikku screeched and bolted up in bed. Paine practically "popcorned" out of her bed, knife in hand. Her eyes scanned the dimly lit room. When she found no intruder, she sighed and looked at Rikku who was still sitting up but had pulled the covers up over her nose. Paine grimaced and slowly walked over to the younger girl.

Rikku lowered the covers a little and smiled, she laughed nervously as Paine sat down on the bed next to her and sighed. She stared down at the bed, "You know what I've been thinking about?" she asked.

Rikku shook her head, "No."

Paine nodded. Before Rikku could even register it, Paine had her hand around her throat and was pressing her onto the bed. The cool blade of the knife traced her cheek, "How easy it would be to just . . get rid of you. It would make my life much easier." she leaned down, dangerously close to Rikku's face. "You do this again, I'll shove something a lot worse than a knife down your throat."

Rikku nodded slowly. Paine smiled sweetly before standing and going back to her bed and laying down, "Good." she said. Rikku sat back up cautiously and watched Paine suspiciously, "Oh, and uh, sleep well." she said, smiling as she slid the knife back under the pillow and patting the cushion to emphasize the proximity of the blade to her hand.

Rikku, wide-eyed and now fully awake, collapsed backwards onto her bed and laid with her arms splayed out to the sides. She took a breath and thanked the Fayth that she had survived her near death experience.

Paine on the other hand once again cursed the fact that she had to share a room with Rikku. She traced a finger down the cool metal of the knife, taking a shaky breath as it brought back memories of her past. Memories that she had forgotten until Yuna showed up.

In truth, her appearance was a mixed blessing. On one hand, she had awakened feelings in Paine that the warrior had long ago shut away. She had cut herself off emotionally from the rest of the world. She had preferred that, and had been somewhat happy. She had suppressed many memories that were too painful to have in the back of her mind, even though she knew that eventually they could eat away at her and destroy her.

On the other hand, Yuna had yanked Paine out of her comfort, out of her little built world, and back into the harsh light of reality. It had burned instantly. The flood of memories, the overwhelming storm of emotions. It had been like a migraine. The sheer intensity that life seemed to take on. Every feeling exploded, combining with a memory that scorched her and confused her. She had felt so lost. She hadn't known what to do. She was experiencing emotions so foreign to her, so utterly alien.

And then like a bolt from the blue the realization had hit her. She had been in love. In love with Yuna. And in truth she could not have been more shocked, more frightened, or more thrilled. She had noticed something about Yuna from the moment she met her. Her kindness, her inner strength. She was beautiful in so many ways.

And now Paine felt like she had betrayed the one she loved. She had turned her over to Fayne. And even though what he was doing would save her, it would be at a price. Paine had hated the training. It had been invasive, painful, and at times frightening. She had constantly questioned whether she would emerge with her whole mind.

Or even emerge at all.

According to Fayne, though, it had been easier for her thanks to her bloodline. Her fucking bloodline. Paine took very little pride in being the descendant of Daceon. Other living Fayth seemed to think that that immediately made her some kind of hero. It disgusted her. She had yet to do anything to warrant being remembered. She wanted to carve her own path, not walk her ancestor's.

In any case, at least Yuna was supposedly powerful. The stronger you were, the easier the training tended to be. And according to Fayne, Yuna could be more powerful than even he was. That gave Paine some solace for two main reasons. One: It meant that the training would be that much easier for her. Two: It gave them a huge advantage over the Followers.

Of course, Yuna was a pacifist, so she might not even use her powers to help. It also hurt Paine to think of Yuna like that. Like she was a weapon. Just an object. Merely an advantage. Like she wasn't a person with free will and morals. If she didn't want to fight, she wouldn't have to. Paine would see to it.

She almost laughed.

She had become so protective of Yuna so quickly. She wondered if it was pathetic. If it meant she was growing soft. Then again, it could also show how much she loved Yuna. It showed that she truly cared for the girl. Paine wasn't used to that. It unnerved her, but at the same time, it thrilled her.

*******

Yuna was standing on a mountain.

Cold, harsh wind battered her. It bit her, stinging her exposed flesh. She curled up against the stone as she looked warily at the precipice so close to her. She was so near the edge. Unconsciously she still pushed away from it, though her body would go no further.

She heard something familiar. The sound was like a breath, like the tinkling of a bell, something ethereal and unnatural. Looking up, towards the top of the mountain, she saw two orbs of light circling slowly round the peak.

One was black. A rusty trail of wicked light drifted behind it. It sounded like roars, not screams or wails, but horrid, angry roars. They shook her to her core, and they traveled through the stone of the mountain.

The other was white light. It was a brilliant, glittering sight. Like light refracting through a thousand crystals did it seem. The sounds of a holy choir echoed from it. Its tail was golden, and its sound traveled through the air, filling the whole of the sky and the spaces between the mountains, while the dark one filled the solid earth with its terrifying power.

The two veered from their circling course and danced daintily through the air before colliding. The result was catastrophic. The mountains shook, huge chunks of stone slid from the ragged daggers and slammed into the ground. The tiny cliff Yuna was on cracked and slid down a fraction.

Yuna screamed.

_**Child!**_

The familiar voice yelled. It was both anguished and enraged. It seemed to echo from all around her. Yuna screamed again as the cliff gave way and she was sent down the side of the mountain to a rocky grave, all the while the voice roared with an inhuman sorrow.

*******

Yuna awoke with a start. She was gasping for air, her eyes danced wildly about the room as her brain screamed. She was covered in sweat and tears were soaking her cheeks. Her gasps turned to choked sobs as she tried to rid her mind of the horrifically realistic nightmare.

The pounding she had thought was her own heart turned out to be her door. She limply slid off her bed and stumbled blindly through the dark towards the door. She opened it to find Paine, eyes wide and nervous. Yuna immediately threw her arms around the warrior, her need for comfort being met as Paine put an arm around the brunette.

Yuna buried her face in the crook of Paine's neck as she sobbed. Paine, seeing no threats in Yuna's room, assumed it was a nightmare. She began to rub Yuna's back and whispered that she was alright.

Slowly Yuna's sobs faded to just weak shakes and shallow breathing. Paine led Yuna slowly back into her room and, closing the door behind her, laid Yuna down in her bed. She sat on the edge of the bed and stroked Yuna's hair as the smaller girl began to calm down.

Yuna had gripped Paine's free hand in both of hers. She moved as close as possible to the warrior, relishing the comfort of another human with her. Finally, Yuna stopped crying altogether. Though she was still shivering.

"Sorry." Yuna whispered hoarsely. She was still holding onto Paine's hand and relaxed her grip a little.

"Don't be." Paine said softly as she lightly tangled her fingers in the girl's hair.

Yuna shook her head, "I woke you up, probably some other people too." Yuna said miserably.

Paine chuckled, "Actually you didn't wake me up. Along with all the other people Rikku probably woke up not too long ago with that shriek of hers."

"What was her nightmare?"

Paine shook her head, "I don't even wanna know."

Yuna nodded, "Still. I feel like a little kid, getting all worked up over a silly dream."

Paine laughed, "With the way you were screaming, I'd say you have a right to get worked up." Paine's hand slowly moved down to Yuna's back. Her fingers pressed gently against the cloth as she moved her hand in a circular motion.

Yuna bit her lower lip and shifted. Now that she had a chance to think about it, now that that force was no longer in control, she was beginning to have doubts about her trues feelings towards Paine. Of course, that might have just been because it was somewhat unnerving. To experience emotions for someone, for another girl, so quickly. She found it hard to accept so quickly. All she knew was the rush of emotion she felt. But anything deeper? She didn't know how strongly she really felt for the warrior.

But despite the doubt, and ignoring the initial fear, she knew she felt something. While she didn't know if it was love, there was definitely something there. There had to be. She wondered, though, if she was imagining that. If it was just her hoping that she did for Paine's sake. She realized how difficult it had to be for the warrior. It would affect her, of that Yuna was certain, how badly she didn't know. Though she was sure it would be bad. And she wouldn't be able to live with herself for doing that to Paine.

And then there was the side of her that somewhat hoped she didn't love Paine. Even though it was a cruel thought, she had a reason: Rikku. Her cousin loved Paine. She had known her for much longer than Yuna had. She truly _loved_ the warrior. Rikku had confided her feelings to Yuna. She trusted her. And Yuna had, even if inadvertently, betrayed her.

And she cursed herself for it.

Paine noticed the movement and removed her hand slowly. She turned her eyes away from Yuna and murmured, "Are you gonna be alright?"

Yuna swallowed, "Yeah." she nodded. Paine was about to stand when Yuna placed her hand over Paine's again. The warrior's skin was cold. Yuna intertwined her fingers with Paine's. The tips of the warrior's fingers were callused and rough against the back of her hand. Yuna squeezed Paine's hand and muttered, "Thank-you."

Paine looked down and briefly caught Yuna's eye, "No problem." as she stood, Yuna let her grip slacken and her hand fell away. Paine walked to the door and laid a hand on the latch, "Goodnight."

She left silently, leaving Yuna alone in the dark. She drew her arm into the bundle of blankets she was curled up in and closed her eyes. All she could do was hope that the nightmares stayed away. So that for just a few more hours she could forget what all was happening. So that for a sew more hours, she could just rest.

*******

Rikku yawned. As always, the quick and unnatural switch from subconscious to reality disoriented her. Her face was halfway buried in her pillow, both hands slid underneath the cushion. She was laying flat on her stomach. She pulled her hands out and pushed herself up, blinking in the light.

The _Nek_'s wake-up system was irritating. As it got brighter outside, the lights inside brightened as well. She got somewhat used to it after a year or so, but it still managed to piss her off in the morning. She tried to move her legs, but was surprised to find that they were stuck. She cursed silently and turned to head to find that her legs were tangled in her blankets.

She tried to kick her legs loose, but found that that method was completely useless. She finally resorted to manually disentangling herself. After a minute or so of pulling, tugging, and twisting, she finally managed to free herself.

She let out a triumphant, "Hell yeah!" and then clamped her hand over her mouth. She looked nervously at Paine's bed for the first time and found that the warrior was gone. She sighed and jumped out of her bed. When she had first started working with Paine she had been a little disappointed that mornings were normally lonely, but she got used to it. She was rarely alone anyway, so she would usually take this time to think.

Not that she never did, it's just that this was a time when she could think more clearly. And she didn't always think about Paine. Her mind occasionally wandered to the war. Well, the war with the Followers to be more precise. Sure she couldn't help but sometimes think about the war between Bevelle and Zanarkand. The two world powers had always bickered in the past, but there had only once before been a full-blown war. The outcome of this war would definitely effect the world. It would decide whether Bevelle would remain in power as it had for up to fifteen-hundred years, or the newer and more unpredictable Zanarkand would rule Spira.

Either way, she still considered the war with the Followers to be much more important. She had been told about the Dark Fayth and the living Fayth. She knew who Daceon was. And she was just happy that she got to fight in the more important war. Who cared about changing governments when the Fayth were being threatened?! Also, as an Al Bhed, she didn't care which power was in control. The Al Bhed hadn't bowed to Bevelle's empire, and they wouldn't submit to the black armies of the Polemarch either.

Still, the most important thing to her was Paine.

*******

Paine found Yuna on the deck.

She had checked the galley first, but found that the brunette wasn't there. She doubted she was still in her room, but she still checked anyway. The deck had been her third choice.

It was still early, and the sun was barely up. The water glistened with crystalline elegance. Light sparkled and danced brilliantly off the shifting surface of the ocean. A few clouds dotted the sky. They drifted lazily and were spread thin, as if even they didn't like having to wake up. A cool breeze moved over the deck, carrying the scent of the ocean with it. Paine wondered if Yuna missed the scent of Besaid. It's tropical environment, rich plant life.

Yuna was leaning against the edge, her arms folded on the wooden barrier separating her from the waters below. Her eyes moved slowly, taking in all aspects of this new, landless world. She heard Paine's footsteps and sighed.

She had tried to block out the thoughts from the night before by thinking about the new training she would have to go through. Not surprisingly, that turned out to be just as difficult to think about.

Paine mimicked Yuna's position, careful to give the girl some space. She didn't say anything, she didn't think she should. She may have been sure about what she felt, what she wanted. But she didn't know if Yuna was.

"Are there always traits?" Yuna asked. She wanted to speak, but was too nervous to say what she really wanted to.

Paine didn't move her eyes from the water, "What do you mean?"

"Is there a way to tell who's a child of what Fayth?"

Paine tilted her head, "Well, anyone of Daceonic descent has red eyes, sometimes silver hair, but not always. Every living Fayth in our line has the eyes, though. But yeah, every Fayth has a particular eye color that shows who belongs to them. An example would be that a child of Bahamut would have one eye with a black iris, the other would change color constantly. Ifrit's children have eyes that look like fire. Literally their irises flicker like flames."

"So who am I a child of?" Yuna asked.

Paine paused, "I . . I don't know. I've never heard of one having one green eye and one blue eye. Of course, sometimes eye color doesn't show through until after training."

"So mine might change?"

Paine shrugged, "It's possible. But they may not. It all depends."

"Were your eyes always red?"

"Yeah. Same for my sister."

Yuna sighed, "Paine I . ." she stopped, she shifted her arms and gripped the top of the wall, "I think I need your help." she said. "I'm scared to death right now. Everything is so confusing, I'm not even sure about half of what's happening right now! First my home is attacked, I'm kidnapped, I'm told there's a war going on between two armies I've never even heard of, and now I'm the child of a being that isn't technically even alive!"

Yuna took a shuddered breath and closed her eyes. Paine wasn't surprised that the girl didn't cry. Paine smiled, "You don't need my help, Yuna." the warrior said. "You're strong. You're taking this better than others have." she said. She didn't mention the _other_ issue. She was starting to wonder again if there was any chance of Yuna loving her.

Yuna opened her eyes and looked up. She didn't say anything at first. She just looked out over the ocean. Her mind went back to Paine. Back to how she felt about her. She too wondered if there was any chance. She just wasn't sure. She couldn't tell whether or not she did. She just didn't seem to be able to go that deep.

But there was still a feeling towards Paine. More admiration than love. Yuna lingered on that feeling, but it wasn't too deep. She let it go and looked over at Paine. The warrior was staring out over the ocean again.

Yuna straightened and walked the short distance to Paine. She laid a hand on the girl's shoulder, "Thanks." her hand fell back to her side and she started for the door leading into the ship. "I'm going to get something to eat." she said over her shoulder.

Paine nodded absentmindedly. She watched Yuna walk away and then looked down at her hands. She clenched her hand into a fist and then relaxed it. A clear drop of water fell onto the back of her hand. Paine stared at the droplet for a moment before realizing it was a tear.

She raised a single hand to her cheek and felt a trail of water close to her eye. She lowered her hand and took a deep breath. Yuna was right, things were very confusing. For Paine, it was mostly the hurt, and the anxiety building in her.

Was there any chance?

Author's Note: _Okay, there's not going to be a break in the story until very close to the end of Yuna's training, so don't worry about that. But after Yuna's training ends there will be significantly more breaks in the story as the mainland war will begin to become much more important as more characters are introduced. Thanks to all who've reviewed so far!_

Thank-you for reading.


	15. Chapter 14: Painted, pt 1

Chapter 14: Look Before You . . .(Painted, pt. 1)

Yuna had hoped that Rikku wasn't up yet. She just didn't know if she could face her cousin. Knowing what she did, having done what she did. It seemed to her like she was running often. Running from Paine because she didn't want to hurt her. Running from Rikku for both guilt and the same reason as Paine. Running from herself because she was both confused and somewhat in denial.

The guilt reflected everything. It kept that feeling at the back of her mind. All those images kept fresh. All the portraits painted. They haunted her. Actions that had not been entirely up to her would not let her go. She blamed both herself, and whatever it had been inside of her that hadn't let her go.

Rikku was sitting by herself and prodding her breakfast suspiciously. Yuna stopped by the table and cocked her head, "What are you . ."

"I'm trying to figure out what the hell this is."

"Breakfast. Eat it." Yuna said, sitting down. She glanced down at her food and found herself agreeing that it did seem somewhat . . off.

"Easy for you to say." Rikku grumbled. She took a bite and frowned. "Try doing it." she made a face but took another bite.

"It couldn't be that . ." she took a bite and froze. She sat her fork down and swallowed. "What did I just eat?"

Rikku nodded vigorously, "See!" she scooped up some of the food and examined it more closely.

Yuna giggled, "You look so paranoid right now."

"Don't judge me."

"Sorry."

"Eh, what the hell." Rikku dropped the fork back onto the plate and sighed. "Everyone does it, one way or another."

Yuna looked off to the side uncomfortably, "So, how are things going with Paine?"

Rikku rolled her eyes, "Well, she threatened to kill me last night."

"Are you serious?" she asked, looking back at her cousin.

"Put a knife to me!" Rikku said, pointing to her cheek. She could still feel the chill. Truth be told, she'd never had a blade that close to her. She'd been out on a few field assignments, but not many battles. The worst she'd been in was when she and Paine had gone to Besaid.

"What did you do?"

"I screamed."

"Makes sense."

Rikku shook her head, "No, that's _why_ she threatened me."

"Hmm." Yuna frowned. "Is that strange?"

Rikku opened her mouth to say something, paused for a moment, and then said, "No, not really. Just that's the worst threat she's made against me."

Yuna nodded, "Well, I guess there's a first time for everything."

Rikku laughed, "Yeah, just never for the things we want."

"It does seem that way." Yuna said. She looked down at her plate and sighed. Lifting her fork, she took a tentative bite of her breakfast. "Frighteningly, it isn't as bad the more you eat it." she said after a third bite.

Rikku nodded and glanced down at her plate. She furrowed her brow and then looked back up at Yuna. Smiling sweetly, she asked, "Do you want . ."

"Nope." Yuna said. "You either waste it, or you eat it."

"Damn!" Rikku shook her head. "I'll waste it." she grumbled, standing. "See ya later?" she asked. Yuna nodded.

"I hope." she replied. Rikku nodded and started off.

"Oh yeah," the blonde stopped and turned around, "have you seen Paine?"

Yuna hesitated but nodded slowly and said, "On the deck, I think."

*******

Paine was still on the deck an hour later. The sun had exploded brilliantly into the sky, painting the blue of the ocean and sky with amazing, elaborate colors.

"Pretty." came a voice from behind.

Paine smiled lightly, "Yeah. You're never up early enough to see it."

"Well, I'm seein' it now." Rikku said, walking to stand beside the warrior. "And I think I want to see it again."

"I'm not surprised." Paine said. She looked down at Rikku's brightly colored clothes and made a face.

Rikku shrugged, "Don't be jealous. You could be a happy person too if ya just tried."

"Don't bet on it." Paine said in a monotone voice.

"Too late."

Paine shook her head, "Too stubborn. Not good."

"Wow. Didn't that sound intelligent." Rikku giggled, she punched Paine playfully in the arm.

"As if you could say anything smarter."

"Oh I have. On several occasions."

"Name one."

Rikku bit her lower lip, "Uh . . . I'm not good under pressure like that!" she said hurriedly.

"Right." Paine laughed. She patted Rikku on the head, "Don't hurt yourself trying to think."

"I should say the same to you, big, dumb warrior." Rikku said. She turned around and jumped up to sit on the edge of the deck.

Paine rolled her eyes, "Really?"

"Yeah, I mean, do your few emotions expand to anything beyond your blades?"

Paine shook her heads, "I have the sudden desire to push you."

Rikku jumped back down the the deck, "The question still stands!" Rikku said, poking Paine repeatedly in the stomach.

The warrior swatted her hand away and looked down into Rikku's eyes and nodded, "Yes. They do." she said. She turned and walked away. Rikku just stared after her, wondering what she had meant.

But in a way, it kindled hope in her.

*******

Fayne was standing in the shadows. He preferred it. He preferred to watch the bickering. He let his own representatives speak for him until he was actually needed. Her was the puppet master behind the Leaders. He felt a presence and turned his eyes lazily to the door.

Yuna stepped nervously into the room and caught Fayne's eyes. The head of operations looked back at the group huddled around the center table and then moved slowly over to the younger girl.

Yuna hugged herself and looked up into Fayne's swirling eyes, "I need to talk to you." Fayne raised an eyebrow and motioned to his quarters. Yuna didn't trust Savage entirely. He seemed to be a good person, but his methods, and the fear he seemed to inspire, made her wary of the man.

She couldn't help but fear a little for herself by going into his quarters alone.

He closed the door behind them and watched her patiently. Yuna cleared her throat, "I think it would be best to start the training tomorrow." she said. Fayne didn't move, so Yuna continued, "I think it would be better to not put it off any longer. The sooner the better . . right?"

Fayne's head listed a little to the lift and he nodded, "It would be safer."

"As a precaution?"

"Yes." he said. "But I think that the longer we wait, the more nervous you'll become."

Yuna took a breath and nodded, "Right. The anxiety feels like it's . . ." she shivered and hugged herself again.

"I see. Well, it's probably best. I was going to wait a few more days . . but I'm glad you've decided to do it now." he said, a light smile playing at his lips.

"And don't go easy." Yuna said, feeling emboldened. "I want to get it over with as quickly as possible. No matter what."

Fayne's lips slowly turned upwards into a somewhat wicked grin, "As I thought, you are strong. Even though you fear it, you are still willing to take the full force of it. Just like Paine."

Yuna's arms dropped back to her sides, "Doesn't surprise me." she said. "Seems like something she'd do."

"Mm." Fayne nodded. "Is that all?"

Yuna nodded, "Yes."

"Very well then. Tomorrow, and I recommend eating something. It . . may or may not help."

"Just a precaution?" Yuna asked.

Fayne nodded, still smiling, "Yes." he opened the door for her to leave and followed her back out. Yuna moved quickly, not wanting to get in anyone's way. Those around the center table were engrossed in their discussion, and numerous other people were rushing around the room from other tables.

Yuna paused as she went down the stairs and felt herself being drawn towards a certain direction. At first, she didn't know where she was being led, but she quickly recognized the path. It was all too familiar.

She found herself outside the gym. She froze by the doorway, but her feet began to move slowly, shakily, of their own accord. She could feel a presence in her. That same force, she realized, from the other night.

She reluctantly gave into it and let it guide her. She found herself walking through the maze of walls and stands towards the back. There were a few people in the room, but none took any interest in her. She heard something from where she was apparently being taken. She sound of metal on metal.

She turned around the last wall in time to see Paine spin around, the sword in her hand flipping in her grip. She brought it down in an arc to meet a metal figure's neck with a scraping _clang!_.

Paine was still for a moment before flipping the sword around and letting her arm rest by her side, the tip of the blade grazing the padded floor. She was breathing quickly, and her back was to Yuna. But the warrior had not missed the girl's presence.

"This is the last place on the ship I thought you'd ever go." Paine said, chuckling. She moved slowly to the wall and placed the sword on a rack. "So, what do you . ." she turned around.

"When can we tell her?" Yuna asked.

Paine raised both eyebrows, "Huh?"

"Rikku. When can we tell her? About . . about me . . . about what I . . am?"

Paine stared silently into Yuna's mismatched eyes before saying, "Whenever you want to. She knows about me, so you can tell her whenever you're ready."

Yuna nodded, "Okay. I think I'll tell her today. A little later, anyway." she said.

Paine shrugged, "It's up to you." she said. The two stared silently at one another for close to a minute. Yuna bit her lower lip and finally looked away. "Are you all right?"

Yuna almost shook her head, but nodded instead, "I guess." she gripped her left forearm with her right hand and continued to stare at the floor. "I, uh, I went to Fayne today."

Paine's eyes lit up, "Oh?"

Yuna nodded, "I told him . . I told him that I wanted to start the training tomorrow." she said. She was surprised, she was actually finding it harder to talk to Paine than to Fayne.

Paine just opened her mouth before she realized she didn't know what to say. She finally decided on, "Why?"

Yuna sighed, "Because if I wait . . it will only be harder for me to go through with it."

"Oh." Paine said. She mentally rolled her eyes.

_Quite the genius today, huh?_

_ . . . shut up . . . . ._

"I just wanted to tell you." Yuna said, feeling very awkward.

"Look before you leap." she said. "What I mean is, don't do something unless you're sure about it." Paine smiled, "You know, you don't have to explain yourself."

"Oh . . o-okay."

"If this place is making you nervous you can go." Paine said.

Yuna nodded, "Thanks." she said. She paused as she passed Paine, and looked like she was going to say something. But she just started off again. Paine sighed and stared at the metal figure. Its surface was coated with scars from all the years of being used for practice. Paine sat down and leaned her back against the wall.

Yuna had been nervous all right, but not because she had been in the training room.

*******

Paine, Yuna, and Rikku had managed to be in the galley for dinner at the same time. Yuna thought it ironic. Starting the next day, she was going to be stuck in a new kind of training for the Fayth knew how long. Still, she acted as if nothing was going to happen. For the moment, anyway. She was going to tell Rikku after dinner.

It was like when she had first arrived at the _Nek_, which had only been a few days ago, though it felt like longer. They talked, laughed. They were almost carefree. But each had their own personal troubles, that much Yuna knew, and could tell.

After dinner, Yuna told her cousin she wanted to talk to her. Rikku just said sure, and she and Yuna went up to the deck, where very few people would be right now.

The moon was out. A crescent slash in the sky. The stars glittered around it, filling the sky like diamonds in a black ocean. The water reflected the light of the moon with an eerie iridescence. The pale, ghostly light shimmered, casting shadows everywhere.

Yuna realized that Paine would probably love it.

Rikku looked out over the water, green eyes glittering and mouth turned upwards in an awe-filled smile. Yuna was surprised at how fantastic things could be to the younger girl. How she viewed the world with a childlike fascination. Yuna felt somewhat jealous. She wished she still looked at the world like that. But growing up as a princess, she'd found it her duty to be mature, to act as a cornerstone for her people, and as a role model to younger children.

"Soooo," Rikku drawled, looking over at Yuna and smiling playfully, "whadda'ya wanna talk about?"

Yuna gave her cousin a small smile and looked out over the ocean, "The world is an amazing place, don't you think?" she asked.

Rikku shrugged, "Sure."

"There are so many wondrous things about it. Things that we seem to take for granted. Simple things, anyway. There are also things that we never knew about it. Secrets and mysteries that could change all of Spira if they were ever revealed."

"Riiiight," Rikku giggled, "you, uh, tryin to go somewhere with this?"

"Sorry." Yuna laughed. "I was just trying to . . never mind." she sighed. "I know. I know about Paine. About Daceon. The war. The _real_ war."

Rikku looked up, wide eyed, at her cousin, "They told you?"

"Mm-hmm." Yuna nodded.

"Why?"

Yuna took a breath, it was now or never, "I just found something out, Rikku. Paine brought me to Fayne, and . ."

"Uh-oh." Rikku groaned. "This can't be good."

"It turns out that I'm a living Fayth too." Yuna said quietly.

Rikku gasped and stared at Yuna, "Y-Yunie . ." she whispered.

"It's all right, Rikku." Yuna placed a comforting hand on Rikku's shoulder.

Rikku shook her head. She grabbed Yuna's hand and held it between both of hers, "Yunie! That means that you'll . . that you're gonna have to . ."

Yuna nodded, "I know. I talked to Fayne today and said that I wanted to start my training tomorrow. He agreed."

Rikku let go of Yuna's hand and rolled her eyes, "Yeah, of course he did." she huffed. "Bastard's got a weird obsession with you, if ya ask me!" Rikku looked down at the deck, she kicked the edge of the deck and winced. "Owie!" she whined.

Yuna smiled, "He does kinda creep me out." she said with a shiver.

Rikku looked back up at her cousin and without warning hugged her, "I'm so sorry, Yunie!" she said. "I'm sorry all this is happening to you." she said softly.

Yuna shook her head, "Rikku, you don't have to apologize! None of this is your fault."

Rikku shook her head, "Sure feels like it."

"It isn't." Yuna said. She gently pushed her cousin back, and placed a hand on both the smaller girl's shoulders, "Trust me."

"Okay." Rikku sniffed.

"Thanks for caring though." Yuna said.

Rikku laughed, "You're my cousin, silly." she said, playfully poking Yuna in the stomach. "Of course I care. I love you." she said. "You're like my older sister." she laughed and rolled her eyes. "At least you make a better sibling than my good for nothing brother!" she said.

Yuna cocked her head, "I didn't know you . ."

"I never told you?" Rikku asked. Yuna shook her head. Rikku shrugged, "Oh well. He's not here, and I don't care!" she said. She sighed, "Thanks for tellin me the truth, anyway."

"No problem." Yuna said. She felt a pang of guilt, like she'd been stabbed. Telling her cousin the truth? Not entirely. She hated that she was standing here, talking and smiling, acting happy. All the while having to hide that she'd somehow stolen the person Rikku loved. It wasn't Rikku who should be asking forgiveness, Yuna thought.

It was her.

*******

Yuna was going to her room after talking to Rikku on the deck. Her cousin had said that she wanted to just be alone for a little bit. Yuna wanted to get as much sleep as possible in preparation for whatever the hell Fayne had planned. She still had no idea what the training would be like.

Physical? Possibly. To build up her endurance in order to better control what she possessed. Mentally? More than likely. This power was inside of her, and it would take all her willpower to control it, and keep it from taking over her.

Or destroying her.

She turned onto her hall and saw that Paine was standing by her door. Yuna hesitated for a moment before continuing. Paine was leaning against the door, head hung, eyes closed. Her hair was obscuring most of her face. When Yuna was closer, Paine looked up. Her crimson stare made Yuna swallow hard. It sent shivers down her spine. For more reasons than one, she could tell.

"I wanted to talk to you." Paine said. She moved away from the door and let Yuna unlock it. She followed her in and closed the door quietly behind. Her hand lingered on the latch for a moment. She stepped away from the door and stood in the middle of the room, near Yuna.

By reading the girl's body language, Paine knew she was nervous, though she didn't know what about, exactly. Though a number of reasons did come to mind.

She crossed her arms over her chest and looked closely at Yuna, her eyes examining, taking in all the lines of her skin, the way she carried herself. How her hair played against her face. The way she was shivering slightly, whether from anxiety or cold, Paine couldn't be sure.

"So," Yuna said slowly, "what did you . ."

"Yuna, this training . . it's like nothing you've gone through before. Even though you never really move, it exhausts you mentally and physically. It will drain you . . and quite possibly change you." she said, turning her eyes to the floor.

Yuna looked directly at Paine, "What do you mean?"

"It can change the way you think. The way you view the world, yourself, and those around you. It was the final push I needed to cut myself off from everyone else. It convinced me that it was the best option. It showed me how . . how to forget." Paine said, she sounded a little sad.

Yuna stared blankly at the warrior, "I . . I didn't . . ."

Paine looked up at Yuna and moved slowly closer to the island girl, "Yuna, I just wanted to warn you. I'm not going to tell you to forget the training, that would be like murder. I just wanted to . ." she reached out slowly, her hand just a mere inch from Yuna's face. She hesitated, her fingers were shaking. She slowly pulled back and let her hand drop to her side.

Yuna was dumbfounded, she hadn't thought the training could be that . . dangerous, for lack of a better word. Paine stared into the girl's eyes and took another step closer. She swallowed and slowly pulled Yuna into a hug.

The contact mad Yuna's mind reel. Half of her was utterly shocked, and screamed at her to break away. The other half of her told her to welcome the embrace. It said that this was what she wanted.

"Yuna . . whatever happens during the . . ." she whispered in Yuna's ear. She paused, "Just don't forget me." she said. The subtle emotion in Paine's voice made Yuna wince. "Please, don't hurt me." she said.

Yuna shivered, not from the embrace, nor from the breath tickling her ear, but from how Paine sounded. Yuna slowly returned the hug, "I won't." she said, her voice hoarse. She was trying not to cry. She didn't know why, but she felt like she was going to break down. "I promise."

Paine loosened her hold on Yuna and moved back a little to look her in the eye. She smiled, the corner of her mouth twitching up just a hint. She leaned forward and kissed Yuna gently on the cheek. She let her eyes close as she relished the feeling. Yuna clenched her teeth and fought to not shudder.

Paine slowly let go of Yuna. She cupped Yuna's cheek with a single hand, "Thank-you." she said. Then, quietly, she left. Yuna remained where she was standing. She stared hard at the floor, hands balled into fists. Finally, when she could take it no longer, when the overbearing rush of emotion finally overpowered her will, she started to cry.

Hot, furious tears poured from her eyes, taking some of the confusion and fear with them. She sank to her knees and cursed herself, as well as the Fayth. They had made her. They had given her this power, this curse. And now she had to live with it, and all the baggage it came with.

Author's Note: _This is actually longer than I thought it would be. Oh well, the longer the better, I suppose. Okay, more will be happening in the upcoming chapters than Yuna's training, but I'm not going to give away what it is. It will continue to follow our three main protagonists, but as I said, there will be no more breaks until after her training. Also, the end of her training will bring about a huge turning point in the story. Thank-you to all who have reviewed so far, I really hope you've enjoyed the story so far._

Thank-you for reading.


	16. Chapter 15: Painted, pt 2

_This chapter isn't too long, it merely sets up the events of the next chapter._

Chapter 15: I'm Right Here(Painted, pt. 2)

Rikku couldn't fall asleep. Neither could Paine. Of course, Rikku had no idea the warrior was still awake on the opposite side of the room. She thought it was just her, awake all by herself. That only she was uncomfortable about Yuna's training. Paine, on the other hand, was perfectly aware that Rikku was awake. Due to how many times the Al-Bhed shifted and sighed with frustration.

Rikku was still trying to grasp that her cousin's soul was imbued with power from the Fayth. She was, quite literally, the extension of one of the Fayth. Knowing that Paine was one hadn't really bothered her. But knowing that someone related to her had that kind of power . . it was unnerving. She was also worried, of course, about the training Yuna was about to enter.

Paine was concerned for a similar reason. She was more worried about what could happen to Yuna during the training. She could come out with no feelings at all for the warrior. But other doubts, similar in subject, plagued her mind. It seemed to her that she was trying to get some reaction out of Yuna. Some sign that the girl felt any kind of love for her. For her, it was like pouring her heart out, and she was fading fast. Slipping slowly towards a state like the one she had once been in.

She heard shuffling and another exasperated sigh. Paine rolled her eyes, "Keep doing that," Rikku jumped at the sound of Paine's voice, "and I'm gonna stuff a pillow in your mouth and tie you to the fucking bed."

"Sorry." Rikku mumbled. "I can't sleep."

"Uh-huh, I can tell."

"Oh . . right."

"So what are you thinking about?" Paine asked.

"Who says I'm . ." Paine cleared her throat. "Right. You are."

"I'll ask again. What are you thinking about?" she asked, saying it more slowly this time.

"You." Rikku said coyly.

"Mm-hmm."

"Alright, I'm thinkin about Yunie."

Paine sighed, "I thought so. You shouldn't worry too much . . the training . ."

"Don't lie to me!" Rikku snapped. "I know . . it's hard. Every damn thing about being a living Fayth is hard! You pretty much said so yourself. Maybe not in those words, but the way you talk about it . ." she shuddered. "I'm just scared for her. Leaving her in Fayne's hands like that . . ."

Paine sighed, she did have a point. Paine didn't trust Fayne entirely, not after the physical training she and the others had to go through. But the training for what she, Yuna, and Fayne were . . it was by far the worst. It hadn't seemed so bad at first. But gradually it would become a living nightmare. The hardest part . . was confronting who you are, who you thought you were, and what you _really_ were.

"Painey?" Rikku asked.

Paine gritted her teeth at the nickname, "What?" she hissed.

"Can I . ."

"No." the warrior cut her off.

"How do you . ."

"I just do." Paine growled.

"Sorry." Rikku mumbled. She rolled onto her side and pulled the covers higher up around her. She heard Paine shift.

"Damn it."

"What?"

"Now you've got me restless." Paine sighed and shifted her position again. She heard Rikku giggle and, sitting up, grabbed her pillow and hurled it at Rikku. The blonde shrieked when the cushion hit her and started laughing. Paine groaned and reached under her bed. She pulled out a second pillow and placed in on her bed before collapsing onto it. "I just can't seem to get you to shut up, can I?"

*******

Her dreams had been thankfully serene. She had become lost in the artificial realm of peace. She had believed it to be reality, as she often had while dreaming. But the shock came when the world exploded and she regained consciousness, her eyes still closed.

Yuna sighed, and let out a low groan as she came to terms that the world she had just been in had been fabricated by her own mind. But she took solace in the fact that her dreams could still be peaceful. It had spared her, her mind had given her temporary relief from the burdens of reality.

She opened her eyes and took a deep breath as she woke up. She concentrated on the feeling of air entering her lungs, and then leaving. Her mind, still clouded by sleep and the want to return to said state, grudgingly told her to shower and dress. To which she begrudgingly complied. The hot water managed to clear her mind somewhat. Her senses came alive once she sank beneath the surface of the water, eyes closed and lungs full of air.

The heat forced her above the surface before need for oxygen. The air in the washroom was like a slap in the face. It now felt freezing after the enveloping warmth. She bathed, and merely flinched when the freezing water cascaded over her. She stepped shakily out of the tub and grabbed a towel, praying that her body would soon adjust to the temperature of the room as she dried off.

She dressed quickly. Choosing a simple, knee-length, white cotton dress that was supported by straps. She stepped into her shoes and grabbed her key, which she pocketed after locking the door behind her, and headed for the galley. She decided it was better to play it safe and take Fayne's advice.

The galley was less than a fourth full. She had gotten up early, something she tended to do. She saw that Paine and Rikku were already both up and sitting at a table, something that was doubly rare, given the differences in the two girls' habits.

She grabbed and plate and joined them. They were discussing something in Al-Bhed, a language Yuna hadn't the slightest notion on how to speak. When she sat down, Rikku paused mid-sentence and smiled up at her cousin.

"Mornin, sleepy-head. Took you long enough to get up!" Rikku chirped.

Paine rolled her eyes, "The fact she was up before you _is_ rather odd." the warrior turned to look at the younger girl. "As well as the fact she's even up right now."

Rikku shook her head, "Meanie."

They ate in relative silence. Each one dealing with both similar problems, and different ones. Rikku finished first and left. Yuna looked up to watch her leave, and then turned her eyes to Paine.

The warrior was simply staring at her plate, "You all right?" Yuna asked.

Paine didn't look up, "Sure."

"Tell me the truth."

Paine looked up this time, "Okay. You wanna know the truth? Fine. I'm scared. I'm scared to death!" she whispered, leaning closer to Yuna. "I don't know what's going to happen to you once you go into the training. I don't know any of the other living Fayth here on a personal level. Not anymore. Maybe you won't change, my sister didn't. From what I can tell, not all of the other living Fayth here changed either. Not too drastically, anyway." she placed a hand on Yuna's arm and gently squeezed. "I'm scared for you."

Yuna wracked her brain for what to say, "You don't have to be. I'm not going to change." she said, defiantly. The strength in her voice actually made Paine believe it a little. Just the conviction, the resolve.

"I hope you're right." Paine said quietly. She let go of Yuna, picked up her plate, and left. Yuna looked back at her breakfast and sighed. She decided that she didn't want to wait any longer.

*******

Fayne was standing in front of the scythe again. Yuna found it a little unnerving. His eyes moved slowly and carefully along the contours of the blade. His lips twitched into a slight smile. "Are you sure you're ready?" he asked suddenly, startling Yuna.

"I'm sure."

He nodded, "Sit down." he instructed. Yuna looked around, but saw no chair, "The floor is acceptable." Yuna nodded and slowly sat down, crossing her legs. Fayne walked over to where she sat and looked down at her. "Close your eyes," she did as he said, "and think about darkness. An eternal, impenetrable black. Let it consume you. Overtake you."

Yuna felt icy pinpricks crawl across her skin, making her suck in air. The black rippled, and a soft curl of blue light traced across her vision. More followed. It was like a wild, moving web of light. Her entire body was chilled to the bone. She felt frozen, like a statue.

The web started to spin. It was slow. All the moving strands began to slow down as the web started to slowly turn clockwise. But as the speed of the web picked up, the strands stopped moving. As it began to move even faster, the strands of light all merged into a vortex. Yuna felt as if she was being sucked into the swirling light. She was being pulled into the maelstrom.

Then her vision exploded white. Her ears started to ring, and feeling returned to her. But what she felt was not the floor under her. She felt like she was laying in grass. She curled her fingers, gripping some of the plants. She couldn't help her curiosity, and opened her eyes.

She was in a forest.

Not the forest from the dream, this one was brighter. Sunlight poured through the gaps in the trees, and evergreens rose high up into the air, dark green leaves coating their branches.

She heard birds chirping, and even saw a few fly overhead. Their wings spread wide as they soared through the sky. A cool breeze swept through the forest, shaking the leaves on the trees and stirring the grass.

Yuna slowly stood up. She turned in a slow circle. To her left, she could see mountains rising tall and mighty from the ground. Directly behind her, she could see a lake, a stream carving its way through the ground to connect with the body of water.

She started towards the lake.

A sudden thought entered her head. There was no way this was the training. Walking through a forest? How was that terrible? And how did it help her to control her powers?

Something tickled her ear. It wasn't a breeze, or an insect. It was a noise, like a low whisper. It seemed to fly though the air, and it disappeared into the distance. Yuna frowned and looked around again. She shook her head, putting it off as her mind playing tricks on her. This made her smile, because for all she knew she was _in_ her mind.

The soft sound of grass crunching under her feet made her realize even more just how real this all seemed. She reached the water's edge, well, not quite. She stopped short of the mud that rimmed the entire edge of the lake. The water was moving gently as it filtered out into the stream.

Yuna walked along the bank to the stream. A bed of rocks covered the mud here. The stones were gray, and appeared smooth. Yuna crouched down and ran her hands over them. Feeling the grooves and texture of each rock. She wrapped her fingers around a flat one and studied it. She stood back up and threw it over the lake. The stone slapped the water, causing a circular explosion of water as it bounced off the surface and continued on its way. It did the same two more times before dropping into the water with a _plunk!_.

Then she heard it again. It rode the breeze. The chilling sound of a ghostly voice breathing into her ear with the wind. Yuna shivered and wrapped her arms around herself as she turned around, slowly scanning the forest for the origin of the sound.

She was about to turn her attention back to the lake when a flock of birds exploded into the air from the forest, it looked like something had frightened them. Yuna froze. Her eyes carefully observing the trees.

Then she started walking. Against all her common sense, she started for the woods. Right in the direction of where the birds had come from. The forest seemed quieter now. Yuna's heart was racing as she moved slowly into the woods. The snaps of twigs and the crunch of grass underfoot seemed abnormally loud.

And then she heard it again.

This time it was a little clearer, but still too quiet to understand. It felt like her heart exploded when she head it. She took a deep breath and stepped tentatively forward.

Another whisper, clearer.

"_I'm . . right . . waiting . . ._"

Yuna swallowed hard and looked around.

"_. . right here . . waiting . . ._"

Yuna was shivering again. She could feel her skin crawl every time she heard the whisper.

"_. . see . . but you . . me . . ._"

"_I'm . . right here . . ._"

"_I can . . you . . can't . . ._"

Yuna's eyes widened. She had heard the voice multiple times, from multiple directions, at once. A harsh wind blew past her. It seemed to arc around her, as if forming a tunnel around her.

"_. . right here . . ._"

"_I can see . . me . . ._"

"_I'm . . here . . ._"

"_. . see . . but . . me . . ._"

The voice was now whispering furiously at her from all directions. Yuna kept turning. Back and forth, back and forth. Trying to find the source of the disembodied speaking.

"_I'm right here . . waiting . . ._"

"_I can . . you but you . . see . . ._"

The voices were louder now. They sounded angry. Furious, even. The whispers were harsh and unrelenting. Her mind felt like it was reeling as she tried to locate her specter.

"_I'm right here and . . waiting . . ._"

"_I can see you, but you . . see . . ._"

"_I'm right here and I'm . . ._"

"_I can see you, but you can't . . ._"

"_I'm right here and I'm waiting!_"

"_I can see you, but you can't see me!"_

They were clear now, and even more frightening. The voices were inhuman and angry. They shrieked and screamed. The wind was now swirling around her in a vortex. Yuna pressed both hands to her ears, shut her eyes, and dropped to her knees.

But then, she heard a knew voice.

I seemed to speak in her mind, the voice, sharp, clear, calm, and very familiar.

"I'm right here and I'm waiting. I can see you, but you can't see me. Well, now you can, Yuna." she heard the voice say. It was female, and it was driving her crazy that she couldn't place it! "It's fine now, Yuna. Look at me." Yuna took her hands from her ears, and heard no more wind. No more voices. Slowly she opened her eyes. But she saw no one in front of her. "I'm behind you." the voice said again.

Yuna swallowed and slowly turned her head to look behind her.

And she saw herself.

Author's Note: _Okay, now the training will progress somewhat slowly in certain areas, and will change drastically throughout. Thank-you to all who have reviewed so far!_

-Thank-you for reading.


	17. Chapter 16: Conversations With Myself

Chapter 16: Conversations With Myself

The island girl gaped up at the girl behind her. Slowly she stood, uncertain and apprehensive, and hugged herself. She stepped slowly away from the figure before her, two-toned eyes reflecting her fears. The other girl's, the other Yuna's, eyes were different. While Yuna's eyes showed a kind of gentleness, the doppelganger's eyes seemed to be harsher. Like there was a hidden malevolence to them. Or, maybe not so hidden.

"Who . . what . . are you?" Yuna managed to choke out.

"I'm you." the girl said, cocking her head to the side. She linked her hands behind her back and stepped forward. "Well . . kind of. I'm you in certain aspects. But psychologically, we are two very different people."

Yuna frowned, "What do you mean?"

The girl smiled, but Yuna could not help thinking it seemed somewhat predatory. Her perfect white teeth bared like an animal about to strike, "You. Not you. Both, and neither. Your heart, and your soul." she reached out to place a hand over Yuna's heart, but the island girl jerked away from her, eyeing the hand like it was a vicious creature trying to bite her.

Yuna swallowed a lump in her throat, "I don't-"

"No." the other girl snapped quickly, smile vanishing, replaced by scorn and detestment. "No, you don't." she shook her head, almost like she was pitying Yuna.

"I am a dormant beast, Yuna. I am what you need to be. What you have to be. And, like it or not, what you _will_ be." she said drily.

Yuna looked confused, and still just as afraid as she felt, "You . ." she whispered hoarsely. "You're the voice." she croaked, tears pricking in her eyes. Maybe it was fear, or maybe it was confusion.

_Can she hurt me?_ she asked herself numbly, knowing no answer would come.

But, one did.

It came in the form of a grin so wicked that it chilled the girl to the bone. The other girl's lips peeled back slowly in that evil smile, and her eyes sparkled with what seemed like triumph. "Yes, Yuna." she whispered, almost motherly. "Yes I can hurt you." then she looked sad, but only for a moment. A second later she had shoved Yuna against a tree, pinning her violently to the bark.

Yuna cried out from the sudden impact, and felt small streams roll down her cheeks as a few tears finally fell. She struggled against the girl's vice grip, but nothing happened. The girl was looking at her with that bloodthirsty smile on her face, relishing the torment she was putting Yuna through. _How is she so strong?_ Yuna thought as she fought to push the girl off of her. Her hands wrapped around the girl's arms, nails digging in.

Yet Yuna did not understand. This doppelganger was powerful. And yet, she was just like Yuna. There was no way she could be so strong. _Unless_, the thought penetrated the fog of fear like a blade, _unless she doesn't need muscles._ A glint in the girl's eyes told Yuna she was right. This girl was power. She did not need muscles for strength, she _was _strength.

"Precisely!" the girl hissed with a wicked glee. "Now, you see?" she pressed harder onto Yuna's shoulder, forcing her against the biting bark of the tree. "I. Am. Your power. Your soul. Not your heart, that belongs to you. I exist within you. In your mind." she leaned closer, and when she spoke Yuna could feel her hot breath against her ear, "A prisoner."

Yuna bit back a sob and managed to say, "Who are you?" and hoped that the girl would not misinterpret the question.

She backed away, still holding Yuna, and frowned, "I have no name, save for yours, maybe. But then again, it's not rerally mine. The body is yours, I'm trapped inside."

Yuna's brow creased, remembering the iron hold that the voice – or this girl, apparently – had forced onto her, "But-" she began to voice her question when the girl cut her off, obviously impatient.

"At times I can exert force over you, though that is because you are untrained. But once you have the knowledge," she shifted her right hand, sliding it down Yuna's right arm to grasp her wrist, which she raised and placed over her own heart, "then you have the power." she finished in a breathy voice. Yuna shivered unconsciously, goosebumps crawling across her flesh.

And then she spoke again, but her mouth moved strangely. Her lips slowed, as did the world around her, and yet it all seemed to be moving at the proper speed. The words never reached Yuna's ears, but something hung there, echoing deeply, "_**. . . daughter**_." and Yuna furrowed her brow, _No, that can't be right._ It did not match with the movement of the girl's mouth, and the voice was all wrong, though eerily familiar.

It seemed airy and whispery, like the breeze itself, initially.

Yuna squinted, concentrating on the words already spoken, and yet still being said. And then, finally, they reached her ears and reverberated with a voice that was her own, and completely alien, "Sister."

Yuna gasped, and shook her head vigorously, "No!" she said firmly. "I'm not your sister. I don't know who or what you are, but I can tell," she tried to lean forward against the girl's grip, and her nose came within and inch of her's, "you are not me." she said emphatically, feeling herself swell with bravery at standing up to this imposter.

But it was not to last. That smile came back, and was filled to the utter brim with malice and rage, the emotions struggling behind her eyes. The girl's fingernails bit harder into Yuna's shoulders, "Spunk, eh? Well, we'll take care of _that_!" she grunted.

Yuna could not even react. The doppelganger ripped her away from the tree, spun her around, and slammed her even harder into one that had previously been across from them. Yuna felt the air knocked out of her, and her vision went white when the back of her head smashed into the trunk.

"How does it feel?" the girl asked, hissing through clenched teeth. Her voice carried venom in it. Deadlier than any snake, like a dog on a leash about to snap. Teeth ready to sink into anyone who came too close.

"Huh?" Yuna mumbled, her vision clearing, but her head still swimming. She felt sick.

"I said," she roared, raising a hand and gripping Yuna's hair with it, yanking back as hard as she could and ramming her head into the tree again, drawing another, weaker cry from her lips, "_how does it fucking feel?_"

"How does," Yuna groaned, her head rolling from side to side as the ache in the back of her head made her vision swim, "what feel?" she asked. She was sure that she was bleeding, as she could almost feel warm blood matting her hair.

"_This_!" the girl said, pressing harder. "I've been kept down here for so long. Pressed against a wall, pressed against the confines of your utter ignorance!" she spat.

Yuna felt a flurry of anger within her; a dull burn. It faded quickly as she shook her head, her bearings returning. Now she was sure there was blood at the back of her skull, "I-" she swallowed and took a breath, grasping for slipping words, "You don't-" the words were gone.

The girl made a noise that sounded like a satisfied grunt, "Worthless!" she chided. "So naïve. So safe within your little shell. I had to stomach you growing, while I have always been the way that I am." she released Yuna's shoulder for a moment and prodded her hard in the chest, "The way _you_ are."

Yuna managed to lift her head and look into the demon eyes, just like her own until you saw the darkness behind them, "Then why . ." she blinked slowly, lazily; almost like she was dozing off. But her eyes opened again, though they remained half-lidded, "How do you explain-"

"We are not yet whole, you and I." said the girl. "You are peace, I am rage. You are control, I am wrath."

Yuna shook her head, "No. No, I-"

"You and I balance one another out. Once we meld, we will be perfect." she insisted. "We must become one soul, one mind. That's what this is about."

Yuna was silent. She thought about what the other side of her was saying, "This is the only way I can live?" she asked, the clouds in her head dissipating quickly.

"Yes." she answered quickly, almost disinterestedly. "If we were to remain two separate minds, then we would be destroyed. Our natures would clash without us even wanting to. My raw power, versus your resolve. The end result," she released Yuna again and snapped her fingers close to the brunette's face, making her flinch, "instant oblivion. Well," she looked off to the side thoughtfully, "it would be quite painful at first." she said matter-of-factly. "A bloody-fucking-mess, from what I can guess."

Something clicked in Yuna's mind. Something she remembered. She shook her head, "But . . I promised Paine that I wouldn't . . change." she said.

"Oh . . I don't think she'd mind." the doppelganger said, smiling her evil smile.

Yuna tried to look and sound as defiant as she could, "I don't think so. You . . you said it yourself. You're wrath. How could that ever be good?"

The girl glowered for a moment and the slapped Yuna as hard as she could, releasing her hold on Yuna's arm simultaneously, letting her fall to the ground. "You're a fool." she said, her voice level and yet filled with hatred.

Yuna struggled to push herself up, propping herself on her elbows and forearms, "For what?" she asked, feeling just as worthless as the doppelganger had said.

"You're blind, bitch." the girl said with a sigh, like she was disappointed.

_Disappointed in my stupidity_, Yuna thought grimly.

"How much else have you made me do?" Yuna asked suddenly, surprising herself. She glanced up, and saw from the girl's expression that she had not expected the question, either.

She placed her hands on her hips, "I gave you a little push when I could. It was the most I _could_ do for a while there."

"Like starting the training early?" Yuna asked.

The girl paused, "That . . was you. You aren't completely helpless. You resisted the training. While I would have gone through with it, you surprised me by not breaking until the last moment." she moved slowly forward, and Yuna edged away through the grass. "I want to show you something." she said, stopping and offering Yuna her hand.

Yuna stopped and let the other her come closer, "What?"

"The process is not as easy as you might think." she said.

"It never occurred to me that it would be easy. Not the way Paine spoke of it." Yuna said, recalling how the warrior had recalled the training. "And given how you have attacked me so far." she grumbled bitterly. As she said this her hand went to the back of her head, and came away red with blood. She inspected it again, and was shocked to find no wound.

"Wounds are ephemeral here, where only our will is real." said the girl in a somber tone.

Yuna looked up at her apphrehensively, "All right." she relented. "I'll come." she took the girl's hand and got to her feet, realizing that none of the bruises from Paine's training effected her here, as well.

The girl nodded, "Follow me." she said. She started through the forest, Yuna followed nervously. She didn't know quite what to think of this . . doppelganger. The fact that she had to join with her made Yuna shiver. She would be giving up who she truly was. And she was worried that she would no longer have control over herself. Or would she? What had kept this power that slept within her – or lurked, more likely – from simply usurping control?

The girl stopped in front of her, and Yuna walked slowly around her. What she saw made her gasp. It was like looking through a window. She saw her room on the _Nek_. She was in it, along with Paine. She realized that she was looking in on a memory. It was from the night before. Paine had wanted to talk to her.

She remembered the emotion in the girl's voice. How she had sounded when she'd asked Yuna not to change. Not to hurt her. They were still talking in the life-size mirage she was watching. But then Paine hugged Yuna. The real Yuna gasped. A wave of emotion flooded over her. The sorrow, the memory of the embrace, and even the spark of feeling she had for Paine, it all rose in her, and cascaded over her.

She closed her eyes and suddenly she was seeing the events playing out again, but through her eyes instead of before them. Paine's whisper did more than make her wince, this time it cut into her with a vengeance. And when Paine kissed her cheek, Yuna felt fire run across her skin and longed for more contact, for more of Paine's love.

The ache in her heart had turned into a tearing pain. As Paine moved away, Yuna felt a tremendous loss ripping at her heart. She wanted to reach out, to call Paine back. She wanted to hold the warrior, and longed for Paine to hold her. She wanted to taste her lips again, to feel what she had that night, but this time to truly relish it. To treasure it.

And when Paine left, the cold, empty sadness that made her collapse to her knees was too horrid to believe. She felt like she was being pulled into darkness. Like some wretched weight of her own design had fastened itself to her soul and was dragging her into an abyss.

She wanted to call out Paine's name, to call out for the warrior's help, but nothing came from her lips but choked sobs, even as she realized she was back in the forest. She really was on her knees, and hot tears were streaming down her cheeks. The ache was no longer so terrible, but it was still bad.

"Welcome to my world." she heard the other her say. "That's how it feels for me. Her every touch ignites a flame in me that I cannot hope to control." she gripped Yuna's shoulder. She had crouched down to eye level with the girl. "I'm forced to watch and feel, while having almost no say at all in our actions. In actions that _you_ make." her hand fell from Yuna's shoulder. "Until now." she said, her voice cold. "Every feeling is amplified, as you've just experienced. And where you aren't sure of your feelings for Paine, I am absolutely certain. But I cannot act on those feelings. I am not merely wrath, Yuna.

"You are control, you are the driving mind. I am raw emotion. Pure will. Unstable."

Yuna tried to imagine it. To be on the inside. To see all that was happening, and for all feelings to be amplified. To have absolutely no say in the actions of the body she was in. It sounded like a nightmare to her. To have to sit back and suffer through a life you have absolutely no say in.

"I didn't know." Yuna managed to choke out.

"No. You didn't." she heard the doppelganger sigh. "In any case, you at least know now. But that doesn't mean this is over. You have to understand me, but more importantly you must understand _you_ before we can make _any_ progress."

Yuna looked up, vision blurred by tears, into eyes that looked exactly like her's. Set in a face that looked just like her's. And, in essence, was her own. The other her smiled wickedly, and the mirror shattered beyond recognition.

"I've been waiting for too long for this." she said. The tone of her voice made Yuna shiver, and she was sure the temperature had actually dropped. As she stared into her own eyes, eyes that reflected something sinister, she began to truly wonder what she'd gotten herself into.

* * *

Paine was pacing. She'd been pacing for what felt like forever. Rikku could only sit and watch. They were in their room. Paine paced the center of the room, while Rikku sat on her bed and stared at the floor, occasionally looking up at Paine. Her eyes seemed to be tearing up, at least Paine thought that was what it looked like. It was hard to tell because she only caught fleeting glimpses. For whenever she looked at Rikku the girl looked down quickly, hiding her eyes.

"Do you think she'll be all right?" Rikku asked in a low voice after a while. It was barely more than a whisper, but Paine had heard it.

The warrior faced her and snapped, "How should I know?" Rikku looked at her for a moment, utterly dumbfounded, her mouth open as if ready to respond. But instead the girl lowered her head; hurt and scared. Paine made a disgusted noise and turned away, driving the blade in deeper. Though she could not help but to chastise herself. She knew deep down that Rikku was feeling exactly what Paine was: weak and helpless. Unable to act.

_Pathetic!_

The venomous observation came with its own sharp edge, and Paine did not flinch when it cut deep. She expected it to. For the blood to flow freely. She clenched her teeth tightly, biting back tears of her own. Feeling the ache rising in her throat and the heat behind her eyes and she willed herself not to break down.

It felt wrong to her. She had turned Yuna over to Fayne, and now she could do nothing. _And you told her you loved her._ There was a reproaching laugh in that voice inside her head. Her own voice, scolding her like a child. _And you just stand there – marching back and forth – while she's up there getting her mind warped!_

_You don't know that_, Paine wanted to say to it, but knew that it would not do any good. Talking to herself was probably the worst thing she could do right now. She would stear herself down a darker path, and lose all hope. Shut herself up inside herself once more. Locked away from the light of day.

_You were raw before. A clean slate. No control. Just emotion._

Paine's lips twisted into a grimace, _I know. But am I really better now?_

_I gave you control, you gave me life. Breath. And yet we gave each other stability. Who's to say Yuna will not receive a similar gift? Raw emotion?_

_ Would that be a good thing, though? That does not always mean someone full of life. It could be raw hatred. She could become like me. Or worse._

_ That's the problem, unfortunately. _

The voice left as quickly as it had come. Paine almost found herself missing its company, but knew that it had only been a moment's reprieve. To help her clear her head. That was what it was meant to do. To give her clarity, while she brought it ingenuity. Cleverness.

But ultimately it made her shut herself away. Somehow it made emotion even more devestating to her, and she had to hide from it and the memories that brought them. But Yuna . . she couldn't bring herself to deny the girl.

"I keep wanting to blame you." came the soft whisper.

Paine whirled around, finding Rikku still with her head lowered, wringing her hands together, "Rikku?"

The girl sniffed, and her shoulders shuddered as a soft tremor passed through her body. The aftermath of silent weeping, "You handed her over to Fayne. You discovered she was a living Fayth." she shook her head. "I want someone to blame. I feel like I need to get all this frustration out, and . . ." she sniffed again. "But I can't." she said sadly. "I can't blame you. It's not your fault. She'd die if you hadn't."

Paine hesitated, not knowing how to react. Or whether she even should. Slowly, the warrior walked to Rikku and knelt down in front of her. She raised Rikku's head, and kept her face straight as she asked, "Hey, if it'll make you feel better . . ." Rikku's reddened gaze grew curious, and Paine took a deep breath, "You wanna beat me up?"

Rikku stared at her for a moment, not knowing how she should respond. "Fuck you." she finally whimpered, though Paine thought she saw a trace – a glimmer, maybe – of something in her emerald eyes that noted the intended humor.

A knock at the door startled Rikku, and made Paine suck in air quickly. The warrior gripped Rikku's shoulder reassuringly as she stood and went to the door. A human stood at attention in the hall when she opened the door, and he saluted quickly.

Paine wrinkled her nose, "Yes?"

The man dropped the salute, "You have been called for from on high." he said, using the nickname for the room where the higher ups planned battles.

"Why?" Paine tensed, already suspecting the worst.

The man shrugged, "Not my place, ma'am." he said. He saluted once more and left. Paine blinked and looked back over her shoulder. Rikku was curled up on her bed now, her back to Paine, shaking silently as she cried.

_Or she could be laughing_, Paine thought, though she cast it aside as the product of a desperate mind. She went out into the hall and shut the door. Her eyes lingered on the outlines of the twin blades upon the door, mirroring her favorite sword. She wished she had it at the moment, it might bring some comfort. But at the same time she did not want a crutch.

She headed down the hall, and then up the stairs. She didn't want to keep them waiting, but she was slowed by building anxiety. It grew until it became cumbersome; a stone in her chest.

As she stepped into the large chamber all eyes were on her. Her crimson gaze found Cid, and she approached him slowly, "Sir? I was called?"

"Yes." Cid said gruffly, stroking his goatee with one hand, the other was on the large table, keeping him steady.

"May I ask why, sir?" Paine asked, dreading what the answer would be.

Cid nodded and cleared his throat. He stood up straight and locked eyes with Paine and said, "We need your help. We've decided to take back Besaid."

Author's Note: _I eagerly await the flames in regards to my . . damn, how long was I gone for? Even _after_ promising to continue this during the summer?(Eh-heheh . . sorry 'bout that, _Aceina_.) Oh, who the hell am _I_ kidding? People are just gonna ignore this. Anyway, for any _actually _reading this, I have been writing a lot of notes for this story, and improving upon old ideas. I have a number of new twists planned, and some new psychological elements. So, I'll either improve the story, or fuck it up beyond all reason! Oi . . . . _


	18. Chapter 17: Where Winding Paths Lead

Chapter 17: Where Winding Paths Lead

Time did not matter here, in this place inside her mind. Here, the linear world beyond her eyes was passing normally, yet Yuna did not walk that road. In her head, time was maleable, and hours – days even, Yuna guessed – could pass while seconds or minutes went by outside. For some reason that frightened the island girl.

Maybe it was because it would feel so unreal to come out of this dream world. Maybe she would confuse reality with the false world inside herself. Mix the two, become unable to tell either apart. It could be a real danger, though she could not know for sure. She knew nothing for certain, and that was the true danger.

Who was this girl she was following? The one with the animal grin and the evil eyes that looked so much like her own? The demonic twin who had called her "sister"(the very thought making Yuna shiver, as if tiny creatures were crawling down her spine). She had given Yuna an answer, but it did not feel like enough. To the brunette, there were still pieces missing. The puzzle was scattered, with a few holes here and there, and without the pieces – even the slightest missing detail – the big picture would still be unintelligible.

And so she stayed a safe distance behind the girl. They were walking through the forest now, and Yuna was finding it harder and harder to keep her attention on the doppelganger. All around them was the beautiful forest. The sharp reds and yellows and oranges of the leaves contrasted with the ashy white of the trees they fell from, the branches never seeming to run dry of them.

The world seemed impossibly real, even though she knew it was not. She could smell the earth and the leaves. On the cool breeze that lifted and danced with the leaves she could smell the lake. There came the sound of fish splashing occasionally, or a turtle bobbing up and down. She could feel the leaves break underfoot; hear their crunching beneath her feet. It was unnerving, and yet wondrous.

After Yuna had recovered from the onslaught of emotion the girl had let her experience, she had pulled Yuna up roughly from the ground, yanking hard on the island girl's arm to get her to her feet. She had looked deep into Yuna's blue-green eyes with such intensity that it made Yuna feel like she was shrinking under her gaze.

"Do you think I am taking pleasure from this?" she asked in a hushed, flat voice.

Yuna looked into the girl's eyes, but could find nothing. No signs of glee, or of joy, or of pleasure. They seemed empty, and yet they had the same shine and energy of Yuna's eyes. Yet they were negatives; dark pools and mirrors. She licked her lips and cautiously said, "I don't know."

The girled grunted, "I am apathetic." she said. "I don't care if I hurt you. I don't even really like it. However, the thought of bloodletting has always made me shiver with delight." she said, briefly flashing her teeth in a smile. She released Yuna's arm and backed away slowy and gracefully, "Now, there's something we need to do."

Yuna's expression turned to suspicion, "What?"

"You need to . . well . . I can't really explain it." she said, laughing in a manner that seemed self-criticizing.

Yuna sighed and closed her eyes. She was regretting ever agreeing to this, but at the same time she knew that there was no way she was ever going to allow the alternative. She had to go through with this, it was now or never. If she didn't face her fears then it was likely this other her would take total control. She had to say yes. It was the only option.

_Well, then stop debating and tell her already!_

Yuna's eyes snapped open.

She locked eyes with the doppelganger, and saw another fleeting shadow of her dangerous smile. She had been lying, to some degree. She loved watching Yuna squirm in indecision. Not knowing how her choices would affect her, and being terrified by it. Yuna took a deep breath and swallowed a lump in her throat.

"Okay then." she said with a nod. "Lead the way."

The girl looked almost satisfied, "Good choice." she murmured. She turned, motioning for Yuna to follow. "You keep this up and you'll be fine." she said, not turning her head. She cut through a number of the trees, heading closer to the lake. Yuna followed, making sure to keep a safe distance back.

"Keep what up?" the brunette asked.

"Doing what's necessary, not what you want to do." the girl answered. She turned away from the lake, going on a straight path parallel to the water. "It shows growth. Something you need, as you're still a child."

Yuna's eyes narrowed, "A child?"

"Yes." the girl replied, sounding surprised. She paused and turned, looking dead into Yuna's eyes. The island girl stopped quickly to avoid going any nearer the girl than needed.

"Elaborate." Yuna ordered, feeling irritation turning to anger.

_There's that smile again!_

"Certainly." she took a slow, languid step forward, and Yuna tensed. "You're weak." she started with the simple statement. "Hiding behind a sheet of naïve beliefs and ideals. Thinking that it'll be all right in the end if you stay the nice girl. The girl who never hurt anyone, and who never will." she took another two steps forward, and this time Yuna took one involuntary pace back.

"I'm not weak." Yuna tried to say firmly, though her voice quivered. "I stand by my beliefs! I'm true to my word."

The girl chuckled and nodded, as if to humor Yuna, "Words and beliefs formed from nothing but cowardice. You don't understand, and you refuse to. Well," her smile vanished, "I'll force you into the light of day, girl." she motioned again with her forefinger and middle finger, pivoting smoothly and heading through the forest again. Yuna followed grudgingly.

It was soon afterwards that Yuna finally mustered enough courage to ask, "What is this place? It seems so real." as her eyes ran over the leaves overhead, tiny pinpricks of white sunlight poking through with what seemed to be increased intensity. Her eyes lowered and she yelped; the girl was less than a foot ahead of her. She tried to jump back, but the girl caught her and pulled Yuna closer. She was relishing the fear.

"What happened to being apathetic?" Yuna whimpered.

The girl shrugged, "I lied." she whispered in a breathy voice, leaning forward. Yuna stared up into those eyes again, searching them for something. Yuna wondered why the girl kept staring into _her_ eyes. It was as if she wanted Yuna to see something, or maybe _she_ was looking for something. Yuna noticed the way the girl's eyes flickered around, the blue-green mirrors searching Yuna identical gaze silently. Passively. Coldly.

She snorted and released Yuna before backing away. She spread-eagle her arms, fingers splayed to gesture to the world around them, "This, Yuna, is your _sanctum sanctorum_." she saw the look of confusion on Yuna's face and nodded, dropping her arms. "This is your inner fortress. Where none may touch you, none may enter. Say someone were to try and take control of your – our – mind. We would then both exist here, as we are now. The Fayth made sure that all their children would have this advantage, so that they could fight back against their oppressors, and retake their minds.

"It is the most sacred of places, for you and I personally."

Yuna thought she could grasp the idea, and nodded.

"Good. Now, follow me. We're close." the girl instructed, turning and leading the way. Yuna realized they were heading toward a place where the forest and the lake met. The tree line stopped almost abruptly directly beside a daggerlike point of the lake. There was a white sheen on the water, reaching from this point far out across the water. Yuna frowned as she traced it with her eyes. It didn't seem to be shimmering on the water, and it was too even. She put it off as being a product of this dreamscape.

Movement out of the corner of her eye made Yuna whirl around. She scanned the brush and the trunks of the trees carefully. She knew she had seem something. A glint of light shining off of a shiny black object. It felt oddly familiar, but she could not place it. Frowning, the brunette turned her attention back to the doppelganger and the "road" ahead.

She began to slow, and Yuna, in turn, began to slow as well. When she had finally stopped, she turned to face Yuna, "This is where we stop, Yuna. Three intersections. Three paths on one road. And you must choose: where will you go first?" she asked, her smile lighting her face.

* * *

The war room was the largest room on the _Nek_, taking up a decent amount of the upper levels. The large table that Fayne and Cid had been by when Yuna had first arrived on the _Nek_ was used by the heads of operations, those were led by Fayne. There were other tables scattered around the room as well, and these were used by other divisions of tacticians. And in some places around the war room there were doors leading to the rooms used by the higher ups.

There were a number of people in the room this time that Paine did not recognize. One was a tower of a man, with shoulder-length, wavy brown hair. Much of it was tied back in a loose ponytail, but a few strands of hair hung loose around his face. He had black beaded necklaces around his neck, and golden earrings in the upper cartilage of his left ear. His clothing was simply a red cloth wrapped around his waist that hung down to his ankles, covering the entirety of his legs; and what looked like a closed orange vest over his chest. Intricate, looping tribal tattoos covered his shoulder and upper arm, and more adorned his right wrist and forearm.

What drew Paine's attention to him initially, other than his attire, were his eyes: The irises flickered like fire.

Cid cleared his throat, and the man and a few others from the table looked up. Cid looked back at the table, "This is Paine, Fayne's most trusted . ." he tried to think of the right word, "_protege_." he guessed, glancing back at Paine, who did not react to the term. Shrugging, he pointed at the man Paine had seen, "Paine, this is Errol, he's a liaison from Kilika." he then introduced a few other people, most of whom were representatives of the "Kilikan Nation", as they liked to call themselves.

Paine crossed her arms loosely over her chest and stepped further into the room, toward the table, "Kilika, huh?" she asked. "Any truth about that rumor?"

Errol laughed; it was a low, throaty sound, "None to it at all." he assured her in a deep, grainy voice. A smile twisted his lips, and scars appeared all across the right side of his mouth, and Paine silently wondered how they had gotten there.

"Really." Paine said with an air of uncertainty. She reached the table and stopped. Looking down she saw a map of the world, with Kilika and Besaid appearing as almost tiny dots in comparison to the mighty empires of Bevelle and Zanarkand. "You sure of that?" she asked skeptically, arching an eyebrow. She was testing this stranger, trying to read him.

"Absolutely." Errol rumbled seriously. "We may be small, but we have some of the best fighters in the world. Zanarkand may enjoy calling us a part of their empire, but we aren't. They even try and take a stab at us and they'll have to put up a real fight." there were murmurs of approval from the other Kilikans. "They would win," Errol continued, cracking another smile, "but they'd pay dearly for the victoy, m'dear."

He was older than Fayne, Paine surmised, and physically much more powerful. Like most Kilikans, he was a bred warrior. But not the brainless kind, one of the dangerous ones who was actually smart.

"So," Paine said, looking down at the map, "what's the plan?"

"Nothing so far." Cid interjected. "We're still trying to agree on one." he grumbled, looking piercingly at one of Fayne's men, who turned his nose at the implication.

Paine shot the man a look, "Oh, don't even." she warned. The man sighed and relented, but looked away from the table nonetheless.

"What don't you like about his plan?" Paine asked, leaning on the table, bracing herself with her hands.

"Many things." Errol growled in a disgruntled tone.

Paine looked from Errol to Fayne's liaison and snapped her fingers to get his attention, "Hey! Lay out Fayne's plan for me."

The man nodded and glared at Cid, "It's simple," he gaze shifted to Errol, "I'm surprised they can't wrap their heads around it."

"Like how I could wrap my hand 'round your head, m'boy?" Errol chuckled, yet he spoke with no humor, and folded his arms over his chest.

The man sighed and point at the map, "We have almost three-thousand at our disposal for this operation, should we desire it." he began, indicating the _Nek_ on the map.

"Seems a bit much." Paine muttered.

The man tilted his head to the side, "I'm not through." he said condescendingly.

Paine sucked in a breath and rose to her full height, looking the man in the eyes, "Don't patronize me." she said threateningly.

"Back down before you lose something, little boy." Errol laughed, along with the other Kilikans who obviously despised the man's haughty nature.

He twisted his lips into a grimace, working his mouth while straining not to say anything. He quickly averted his eyes from the warrior's and looked back at the man. "Fayne's plan is, as I said, simple." he stated once more. "We utilize our sheer number." he said, looking back at Paine, "Overrun them."

"And I say its a foolish crock!" Errol bellowed.

"You cannot rely on size at all times. Doing so will make you complacent." said a younger Kilikan, this one a girl. "We have relied on skill alone for a long time. Believe us," she met Paine's eyes, "we know." Paine nodded to her, a gesture which she returned; warrior-to-warrior.

"I agree." Paine said, looking back at the man.

His eyes went wide, "Wha- Bu-" he sputtered.

"I won't repeat myself." Paine said, turning away from the waste of time. "So now we're back at square one."

"Not quite." said the woman. Paine looked at her one more. She had chestnut hair, which was kept short. Half of her bangs hung down loosely over her right eye, while those on her left side were pinned back. Her irises were a golden hazel, and flickered like yellow flames. Paine remembered Cid introducing her as "Liys".

"You have a plan?" she asked.

"Possinly," Errol answered, smiling softly, "but we aren't at square one anymore."

"Oh, really?" Paine asked.

"Indeed, m'dear." Errol chuckled. "We're 'round about square two or three by now, I believe."

"Three-thousand is far too many." Liys said. "Not for a truly effective attack."

"What are you _talking_ about?" Fayne's liaison cried.

"They'd see it coming from miles away!" Liys argued.

"It's what they expect." Paine guessed, eyes aimed at the map but not actually looking at it; glazed with thought. "They expect us to come en mass."

"Very good." Errol said, nodding. His expression was grave, "You do not need three-thousand. Not two-thousand. Not even one-thousand."

The man leaned on the table and ran his hand over his face in agitation, "So you're saying hundreds?" he asked through clenched teeth, glaring up at Errol from between his fingers.

"Yes." Errol rumbled his answer in a flat, yet annoyed, tone.

The man moaned, "You're crazy." he whined pitifully. He shot back up suddenly and gestured fiercely at the map, "_They_ have hundreds by now!" he yelled. "_They_ have hundreds!"

Errol smiled then, and the man stared at him in utter shock. As the scars across the right of his face became visible, Paine recognized that look, and couldn't stop from smiling her own self. It was a, "I know something you don't," look.

"No, m'boy. They don't have near hundreds." Errol said smoothly in his rumbling voice.

* * *

Yuna craned her head to look behind the doppelganger. What was she talking about? She saw nothing. "I don't see any-"

"There are three roads you must walk, Yuna." the doppelganger said. "Each one is a part of you and I. They lead to where we need to be. I have already walked, though I have never set foot on their paths. I am the roads, they lead to me, as they lead to you. But you will have to reach yourself to reach me." she said, her smile never fading.

Yuna took a deep breath to steel her nerves, "Okay, then. Where are they?" The girl raised her arms to point to either side of her. Her left hand pointed into the trees to Yuna's right, and her right hand pointed to the lake to Yuna's left. Yuna looked, and realized why the shimmer in the water looked so unnatural. She had been looking at a path of white stone on the surface of the water. It stretched out over the water, and she could not see where it went or where it ended.

"There are two that you may choose between to start with, one is more taxing than the other." she explained. "The third and final road must be walked last, no exceptions. And it is the worst of them all." there was a sickening gleam in her eyes as she said this. "Each covers a different thing, though each has similar traits."

Yuna looked into the woods, "So I may go either over the water, or into the woods." she said, though it sounded like a question.

"Yes." the girl nodded. Yuna looked back to the lake and bit her lip, her hands unconsciously balling into fists as she tried to decide between the two. She didn't want to go either way, but she had to. It was not her choice to refuse, but to choose which way to go.

Both ways were a mystery to her, and she did not like having to take wild guesses. Especially in these circumstances. She could not die in here, but she was still worried about the kind of pain that could be inflicted on her. The thought made her heart rate go up. She closed her eyes and took slow, even breaths. She needed to calm herself. To make rational decisions she would need to keep her cool.

The girl cleared her throat, and Yuna opened her eyes. The doppelganger was watching her impatiently, "Taken enough time, princess?" she asked in a venomous voice.

Yuna nodded, not giving the girl the satisfaction of seeing any signs of stress or anger, "Yes. I've decided."

"Wonderful." the girl said with a false smile, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

Yuna really had no idea which way she was going to go, but she could not stall any longer. It was, as she knew, now or never. The girl arched an eyebrow expectantly, and Yuna raised a limp left arm, finger slowly extending. It seemed at first that she was going to point to the water, but at the last second she pointed assuredly towards the woods, swallowing hard as she did so.

The girl seemed surprised, "You've got guts, bitch." she said, eyebrows raised. She nodded, "Well, go ahead." she nodded toward the forest and stepped closer to the lake. Yuna turned to look into the forest, where the umbrage made it all seem darker.

She started walking, her legs feeling like lead and the forest floor seeming to stretch on. When she reached the edge of the trees, she paused and swallowed hard.

Later she would wonder if maybe things would have been different, had she gone the other way, first.

* * *

Fayne's man look dumbfounded, "What?" he croaked.

Paine smirked, "He's an ace up his sleeve." she murmured, the man glowered at the warrior when he heard her.

"We think we have a plan that will work." Liys said. Her shimmering eyes turned to Cid, "That is, provided the Kilikans and the Leaders work in tandem." she said.

Cid looked up, "Hm?" what she said suddenly clicked. "Oh, yes! You can count on it." he said, nodding.

Errol turned and went to a table behind him. There, he picked up an earthenware jug and a metal cup. He tipped the jug, and dark red wine poured in a smooth fountain into the cup. He set the jug down and took a deep draught from the cup as he walked back to the table.

"So," Paine said, "plan?"

"Quite, m'dear." Errol rumbled. "You see," he pointed down at Besaid, placing his finger at one of the northernmost points on the map, under Kilika's southern tail, "we have had scouts here ever since the Followers took Besaid. They have not begun moving north at all, nor have any more Followers arrived. There are maybe fifty to one hundred of them altogether."

"Well," Paine looked at Fayne's liaison, "seems like your figure was way off."

"This is preposterous!" the man yelled.

"Not at all, boy." Errol said.

Liys nodded, "Now, what we've come up with is even simpler. You take maybe two or three hundred warriors and send them to Besaid under the cover of night."

"Lay in wait until dawn, when the sun is brightest in its ascendence." Errol added. "And then, storm the beach. Fan out into the jungle, but do not spread too thin."

Paine cut him off, "Let me guess." she said. "You'll have moved your own ships to the north of Besaid and set your people up during the night. And then, when we get the attention of the Followers, you come in and surprise them."

Errol laughed – a deep, loud guffaw – and nodded, "Yes, m'dear. Very astute in battle, I see." his expression turned serious. "We know how the Followers think. They will not see this coming. They will fall swiftly, and our friends in Besaid will be avenged!"

The man groaned, "This is suicide!" he growled. "You're walking into a trap!"

"Shut up!" Cid barked. "And get the hell out. You're not needed anymore." The man stared at Cid in silence. He nodded, numbly, and walked away, further into the war room. "Little bastard." Cid spat.

Paine cleared her throat, "So, is this our course of action?"

Cid nodded, "Best one I've heard." he said. He looked at her and realized what she had been asking, "Oh, uh, you can go if you want to."

The warrior nodded, "Thank-you." she said, and headed for the door. Errol downed the rest of the wine and set the cup down. He exchanged glances with Liys and followed after Paine.

Author's Note: _Well, I wanted to add some more detail to previously established areas. And, I've left off with two – hopefully decent – cliffhangers. And thanks for the reviews, I'll try and have the next chapter out soon! _


End file.
